CONSIDERATIONS THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WHEN IMPLEMENTING COPRODUCTION An investigation of enabling dimensions on real world cases within healthcare

Abstract

This study investigates what considerations that need to be addressed when implementing coproduction. Because of a growing demand for care, the healthcare sector was applied within this study, to investigate if co-production could become a complement to the traditional healthcare alternative. In order to gain more knowledge of what needs to be considered, four enabling dimensions was identified from previous literature which were: technology, activities, responsibility and knowledge. These dimensions were assembled into a research model, aimed as a guiding tool when collecting the empirical data. This study was carried out through a case study design and examined three cases within healthcare, where co-production had been implemented. Ten semi-structured interviews were performed, with respondents that had different roles within the examined cases. Based on the empirical findings, four considerations for each enabling dimension was discovered, in total 16 considerations taken from real world cases. When examining technology, it was discovered that it is important to consider designing the technology and complexity level after target group, a low complexity in general will increase the value, but also that organizations needs to access the data. On the other hand, when it comes to activities, it is important to consider transferring valuable activities, which should be designed activities target group, and that data allow preventive actions and restructuring organizational resources. Further, regarding responsibility it needs to be considered that consumers are responsible even though it may not be expressed, it requires the right tools, and organizations need to start letting go of some responsibilities and to shape responsibilities in different ways. Lastly, it needs to be considered that knowledge enables participation, that different roles require different knowledge, to encourage existing knowledge and produce and spread knowledge. This study argues that the four enabling dimensions are largely influenced and dependent on each other and can be compared with a cogwheel, where all dimensions need to exist in balance. Hence, this study argues that these discovered considerations will assist in future implementations in organizations, especially within healthcare.