International "best practices" in health care: the roles of context and innovation.

Purpose: Explores recent approaches to international best practices and how they relate to context and innovation in health services.

Design/methodology/approach: Critical review of existing research on best practices and how they created, diffused, and translate in the international setting.

Findings: Best practices are widely used and discussed, but processes by which they are developed and diffused across international settings are not well understood.

Research implications: Further research is needed on innovation and dissemination of best practices internationally.

Originality/value: This commentary points out directions for future research on innovation and diffusion of best practices, particularly in the international setting.