Semmelweis University submitted a poster together with ÁEEK at the EHMA conference in Budapest, between 20 and 22 June, 2018, describing the innovation process, focusing of the sustainable functioning of the Living Labs. Here you can find their abstract.
How to translate best practice to sustainable innovation?
Authors: Beáta Ferenczi(1) ; István Csizmadia(2) : Márton Kis(3)
(1,3) Semmelweis University Health Services Management Training Centre, Budapest, Hungary;
(2) National Healthcare Service Center, Budapest, Hungary
Context
The innovation ecosystem in Hungary is still struggling with many challenges and to achieve a better innovation ranking of countries within and outside the EU will require many years of concerted work. To set a good example, two major players from different backgrounds (National Healthcare Services Centre - a government organisation, background institution of the Health Ministry and the Health Management Services Training Centre of Semmelweis University - academic institution with educational and health management expertise) teamed up in an international project to discover and bring digital healthcare innovation good practice to Hungary, and adopt to our local circumstances and criteria.
The main focus was to make the fund distribution system more equitable, and the utilization of funds more effective, while delivering better healthcare outcomes for patients, thus making the health innovation actually happen and bring value to the community.
Method
We took the tried and proven innovation methodology provided by our English, Dutch and Belgian partners as the baseline, used the 4 stage breakup (scouting, creating, valorising, uptake of innovation) of the innovation lifecycle to identify and group the best practices.
Then we refined the preliminary results using the Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) input, so that we can take into consideration the local needs of the stakeholders, as well as the changing structure of our health delivery system in Hungary.
For deeper understanding the chosen best practices were then examined during longer staff exchange and peer learning visits back in their country of origin.
Result
As interim results we generated a comprehensive list of potential best practices.
This list then has been narrowed down using the SWOT results generated together with the RSG members during a co-creation session, focusing on both system level inequalities and operational level unmet needs and unsolved problems.
Based on the interim results we have created an action plan for the concerned government authorities with suggestions and guidelines for better funding results.
This activity has resulted in awareness raising of the problem on both government and the other stakeholders level as well.
Discussion
While the project is just reaching its middle point, it is already quite visible, that the original methodology alone will not result in actionable results.
We agree, that it is important to identify the potential best practices, but there are several local factors, that also needs to be considered, before just mechanically copying the best practice, thus not achieving the original good outcome in their country of origin.
The cross referencing of the good practices with the local needs can only be done using the stakeholder involvement, by asking them their problems, needs and ideas, and then incorporating it into the identified best practice map.
To make the implementation sustainable, the potential funding scenarios should be evaluated and implemented too. We can build on the results of the EU Member States and the EU Commission as well. In 2011-2013 a reflection process identified effective ways of investing in health, so as to pursue modern, responsive and sustainable health systems.
More information about the conference and abstract can be found here.
