The role of patients and carers in diffusing a health-care innovation: A case study of "My Medication Passport"
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients are increasingly recognized as playing important roles in improving health services. Little is known about the mechanisms by which patients develop and diffuse local innovations in a complex health-care system. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain how diffusion of an innovation, My Medication Passport, occurred and roles played by patients in it. DESIGN: Case study: quantitative mapping of innovation's diffusion and analysis of the routes and occupations of those through whom the innovation spread; documentary analysis; reflective assessment of patient's roles. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: NHS Trusts, third sector organizations, patients and health-care professionals. INTERVENTIONS STUDIED: Co-produced action to raise awareness and influence use of the innovation; order database which enabled ease of access to the innovation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Geographical spread of innovation; occupations of individuals; types of organizations using the innovation. RESULTS: The innovation spread from initial development and use in Northwest London across the UK and beyond. Key roles played by patients were as follows: co-producer; advocate; relationship builder; relationship broker; planner; presenter; awareness raiser; trainer; networker. Patients identified and introduced potential audiences and users to MMP, using social, organizational, sectoral, lay and professional networks to do so. They organized a range of awareness-raising and communication activities, monitored feedback, evaluated the impact and responded to new interest. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The roles of patients in diffusing innovations are under-recognized. Collaborative working between patients, carers and health-care professionals in planning and progressing the use and supporting diffusion of the innovation was important. Principles described in this study are relevant to progressing other patient-led ideas for innovative changes relating to health service development.
Date Issued
2019-08
Date Acceptance
2019-03-24
Citation
Health Expectations, 2019, 22 (4), pp.676-687
ISSN
1369-6513
Publisher
Wiley Open Access
Start Page
676
End Page
687
Journal / Book Title
Health Expectations
Volume
22
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2019 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31131523
Grant Number
N/A
Subjects
case study
co-production
diffusion
health care
infrastructure support
innovation
patient's roles
self-care
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2019-05-26