Preliminary study: National database and webportal for healthcare needs.

Purpose and goal

The feasibility study application focused on investigating the interest for a national portal and database of needs in health care. However, during the pilot study it became clear that the development of internal processes and stakeholder interaction must initially be prioritized in order to be able to manage the needs in a professional way. How needs can be visualized and communicated should still be a task for the next phase.

Results and expected effects

The feasibility study has resulted in a basis for decisions on the next phase. The study shows that stakeholders have great interest in understanding the needs in health care and a positive view of national collaboration. The effect of the feasibility study is expected to be a pilot project where more stakeholders are involved. The target scenario is that innovation becomes integrated in health care, leading to increased efficiency and quality of operations but also opportunities for Swedish innovative companies to reach out faster to a larger home market.

Approach and implementation

Around thirty people with different positions, at regional and national levels and in different parts of the country, were interviewed. The steering committee and the project management also made a study visit to Manchester to learn more about how the ´National Health Services´ (NHS) supports innovation. We also met the manager of a former NHS unit, ´National Innovation Centre,´ whose activities and focus on needs originally inspired us to initiate the study. The results have been analyzed in a workshop with the steering group and presented at external seminars.