Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This scoping review protocol aims to examine the role of the Internal Regulation Core (IRC) as an intra-hospital governance structure that coordinates capacity and patient flow and may function as a strategic hub for disruptive innovation in hospital management. By integrating organisational routines, rules and, when available, enabling technologies, IRCs may strengthen operational efficiency and contribute to higher-quality care delivery. As hospitals face increasing operational complexity and constrained resources, clarifying what IRCs are, how they are implemented across settings, and what innovations and impacts are reported has become a priority. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. A comprehensive search will be conducted across five databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and LILACS) and grey literature sources, without language or date restrictions. The searches were conducted up to 6 July 2025. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data using a standardised form; disagreements will be resolved by consensus or a third reviewer. Findings will be synthesised descriptively and thematically, with results presented in tables and narrative summaries, including innovation streams. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/HWZJS).