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INNOFFARENA-Innovasjonsarena for stat og kommune

Innovation in municipal home-based healthcare services

Alternative title: Innovasjon i kommunale hjemmebaserte helsetjenester

Awarded: NOK 9.4 mill.

This project aims to produce new knowledge on innovation processes in municipalities. Norwegian municipalities face increasing demand and expectations for healthcare services. At the same time, financial resources and access to qualified personnel are expected to diminish. Therefore, municipalities must utilize human resources more efficiently, offer jobs that attract the professionals they need, and develop service delivery that meets societal demands. The project addresses the challenge of sustainable public healthcare service provision by following and analyzing idea generation, development, implementation, sustainment, diffusion and translation of innovative organizational models for the delivery of home-based healthcare services in two municipalities, as well as the realization of benefits from these innovations. It is a collaborative effort by researchers from NORCE (O. Øygarden & L.J. Gressgård) and Centre for Care Research West / HVL (A. Fagertun & C. Øye), and Bergen and Bjørnafjorden municipalities. In combination, three case studies cover all phases of the innovation cycle and the outcomes of innovation, and case study findings will be subject to comparative analysis aiming for theory development and knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners. The main research questions asked are: What are the key needs and challenges that occur in municipal innovation work, and how are these met, managed and solved by actors taking part in municipal healthcare sector innovation? What are crucial competencies at different organizational levels for innovation process management and work, and for the realization of benefits in the municipal healthcare sector? And what are the key elements of translation competence for actors at different organizational levels, is knowledge brokering an element of translation competence and if so, what role does it play, and what is the role of translation competence in innovation process management and innovation work?

This project addresses the societal challenge of sustainable public healthcare service provision. It will follow and analyze the generation, development, implementation, sustainment, diffusion and translation of innovative organizational models for the delivery of municipal home-based healthcare services in two municipalities, as well as the (potential) realization of benefits from these innovations. It has been developed from a pre-project which analyzed the piloting of HELTOM, an innovative organizational model, in one home-based healthcare district Bergen. The piloting of is now complete. The model will be sustained in the piloting district, and implemented in the municipality’s remaining care districts. At the same time, neighboring Bjørnafjorden municipality is exploring the possibilities of implementing a similar model, inspired by HELTOM, but adjusted to the needs and characteristics of their specific municipal context. By analyzing these three, simultaneous processes – the sustainment of an innovative organizational model, the diffusion and adaption of the same model across different districts within the same large municipality, as well as diffusion to another smaller municipality – we will gain new knowledge on all three thematic sub-areas specified in the call for research on the theme of innovation in the municipal sector; innovation processes in municipalities, realization of innovations and benefits, and sharing of innovations. The project consists of four work packages. The overall method framework is a mixed method, longitudinal multiple case trailing design. In combination, three case studies cover all phases of the innovation cycle and the outcomes of innovation in terms of benefit realization, and case study findings will be subject to comparative analysis aiming for theory development and knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners working on model development in the involved municipalities.

Funding scheme:

INNOFFARENA-Innovasjonsarena for stat og kommune