A co-creation approach to implementing eHealth applications in care organizations: lessons learned from multiple cases

The uptake of eHealth technology in care organizations is low, considering the large supply of available eHealth applications. This study follows the implementation attempts of 18 European eHealth products (of several SME) in two health-care organizations to study the challenges during implementation, particularly in relation to acceptance, integration and scaling. Experiences of health-care professionals were the primary focus of this study. This study is based on existing practical implementation guidelines [1], the five-phase model [2] and a co-creation approach.

Method

Three different sources were used to study implementation: 1) Four focus group sessions with health-care professionals, eHealth product developers, and policy makers within health-care organizations. 2) Informal and formal meetings of product evaluations. 3) Regular project meetings in a co-creation setting between all stakeholders to facilitate interaction.

Results

The result is a roadmap that provides guidelines and specific tips and tricks to both caregivers and developers to aid them in the implementation process. The roadmap added a “design and development” phase to the existing implementation model to emphasize the importance of co-creation for the implementation process. In addition to the implementation roadmap, an eHealth product catalog (both in a paper and digital version) and a guide to support the realization of business plans for SME have been developed.

Conclusion

The main conclusion of this study is the importance of engaging all the important stakeholders and to understand each other’s goals and needs. In addition, the co-creation approach was highly valued by the different stakeholders. Future work comprises studying the positive effects of this approach on improved eHealth applications, increased acceptance, and a smoother implementation process in care organizations.

1. ZonMW. Maak zelf een implementatieplan [internet]. ZonMw Digitale Publicaties. [cited 2022 Oct 21]. Available from: https://publicaties.zonmw.nl/maak-zelf-een-implementatieplan/

2. Wensing MJP, Grol RPTM. Implementatie: Effectieve verbetering van de patiëntenzorg: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum; 2017.