New approaches to support innovative development in large healthcare organizations

Purpose and goal

In order for healthcare to be able to meet all the complex challenges the demands for continuous improvement and innovative and transformational changes have increased. The purpose of this project was to contribute with knowledge on how strategies, arenas and forms for networking and collaboration can contribute to complex development over organizational borders. In accordance to the project’s goal we have developed and tested organizational forms of support for innovative development within and between two Swedish regions.

Expected results and effects

Development per se does not consider organizational structures and the challenge is to work in-between the borders they create. Dynamical forms of inter and intra organizational networking can serve as an aid for innovative and transformational development. One conclusion is that networking on strategical levels demands flexibility and a sustainable structure for dealing with organizational turbulence. Networking between people in different functions and roles, e.g. managers, developers, scientists, can make it easier to deal with critical development issues.

Planned approach and implementation

With a focus on development the approach has included networking and collaboration between: two regions (higher management, development units); care organizations within a region; researchers and practitioners; and with additional regions. Arenas for reflection and learning with a focus on action has characterized the interventions. Five scientific studies are included one study on the organization and integration of four types of development and four studies connected to local subprojects with a focus on collaboration over organizational borders chosen by the regions.