User-driven innovation in primary care through innovation groups

Important results from the project

The aim of the project was to increase the level of innovation and the well-being of users, as well as to reduce costs in primary care through the formation of innovation groups. The main goal of the project was to develop a methodology to increase the level of innovation in primary care, to identify 125 potential innovations or ideas that develop primary care, to implement 30 of these innovations in the primary care units, to diffuse 15 of the identified innovations and to publish research in scientific journals.

Expected long term effects

A methodology called innovation groups was developed to increase the level of innovation in primary care. Funds have been applied from VINNOVA for validation and dissemination of the method. The project collected 178 ideas that aimed to contribute to develop primary care. The implementation goals were not met because of the project´s change of direction. Four conference articles have been written. Three of these are on the track to be published in scientific journals. The purpose of the project can therefore be regarded as fulfilled.

Approach and implementation

According to the project plan, the first step of the project was to conduct innovation groups to generate ideas to develop primary care. The second step was to implement some of these ideas. Six innovation groups were formed at primary care units in the County Council of Värmland (CCV), which generated 178 ideas. Only a few of these were implemented due to the fact that CCV was undergoing a savings program at the time of the study. To add knowledge about implementation, the work in the project departed from the project plan to study the "Patient Safety Project" in the inpatient care at the CCV.