Developing Radical Service Innovations in Healthcare - Literature review Example

Study Group Report Name: University: Date: Study Group Report Assignment 1.1 – Preparation In their article, Bessant and Maher (2009) examine the service innovation management, especially the public services’ challenge and suggest the need for new approaches for the active co-creators to be engaged in the process of innovation. The article draws evidence from previous studies on radical innovation being performed in the UK’s health sector by utilising tools such as prototyping and ethnography that facilitates innovation. According to Bessant and Maher, the research coverage in management of the services innovation has been little due to assumptions made regarding the lessons’ transferability that were first learned in the manufacturing setting. Clearly, not every service innovation may function to a similar prescription given that there is a significant heterogeneity in the healthcare sector, which consequently impact the approaches utilised in the innovation management. The authors noted that the public services epitomise another challenge, which is managing various stakeholders as well as the disputed innovation nature. Although it seems that the competitiveness drivers are non-existent and the choice of people in the public services is little, the authors maintain that the pressure for change is growing but originating from directions that are normally different and at odds. In the public sector, there has been increasing demands for cost reduction, especially in terms of funding; as a result, providers have been forced to offer solutions that are more efficient. In order to solve these complex problems, providers have started pursuing complex solutions through experiments that have resulted in radical innovation in the public sector. Such experiments have a number of features, such as active engagement promotion whereby patients are used as the co-designers. Bessant and Maher established that approaches such as active engagement promotion had a considerable potential. They cite Bate and Robert work that provide evidence suggesting the value of carers and patients’ active participation in clinical care in terms of enhanced outcomes. In a number of infirmaries, such as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the other observed that the hospital staffs are being taught by the parents of children suffering from cystic fibrosis with regard to how they can improve services and care based on past experiences. In Iowa Health System, the authors mention that the health literacy programme involves clinicians learning from patients with the view to their consent documents and discussion. In, the authors noted that the Evelina Children’s Hospital has been trying out new way of collaborating with patients together with their families, whereby training of staff involves real life experiences scenes from children that allows the staff to contemplate how to make the patient’s experience better. Different health services such as orthopaedic services and renal dialysis are using experience based design. The above experiments according to Bessant and Maher, exhibit a shift towards a different service innovation approach, which moves far from consumer models towards those that emphasis on co-creation. The authors agree that there is growing evidence regarding management of service innovation on matters concerning healthcare, such as learning from contexts that are radically different using the ‘probe and learn’ approaches. Questions about the Reading 1. How can service innovation be disseminated in the public service? 2. What are the possibilities of injecting innovative solutions in public services’ day‐to‐day operations? 3. How can conditions for radical innovation in the public service be created? Assignment 1.2 - Written Report In their article, Bessant and Mahe (2009) agree that public services deal with different stakeholders which results in a complex problem that need complex solutions. However, the authors fail to demonstrate how service innovation can be disseminated in the public service, the possibility for success, and the conditions for radical innovation. Service innovation is clearly in the public sector, but how can service innovation be disseminated in the public service? Berwick (2003) mentions that after early adopters together with innovators embrace change, most early majority normally follow their lead and the late majority always find the direction has been changed; thus, feeling comfortable to change it too. This connotes that to diffuse service innovation successfully depends on the ability of the public sector to manage its innovators, early adopters, as well as the line between the early majority as well as early adopters. According to Berwick (2003), most of the medical communities are normally oriented locally and are often numerically dominated by late and early majority groups; therefore, there lack faith on authority sources that are personally unfamiliar and remote. Although Bessant and Mahe have mentioned that medical practitioners could gain form collaborating with patients and their families, Berwick (2003) believes that joining professional societies and networks could more valuable because their innovative ability could be improved. In the public sector, innovations are associated with the structure, process, or product, but the structural innovation normally affects the external and internal infrastructure and generates new business models (Omachonu & Einspruch, 2010). The modern-day public sector is facing a lot of challenges such as unstable public needs as well as issues regarding cost and quality. For this reason, Akenroye (2012) believes that organisations in the public sector need innovative capabilities in order to deal with the unexpected events. Conditions for radical innovation in public service should be created to facilitate effectiveness and promote creativity, but how. Albury (2011) points out that comparative and granular performance information is one condition needed to drive the spread of innovation in the public sector. In this case, granular information connotes the data collected from the professionals, general public, as well as end users in the public sector. This information as opined by Albury (2011) offers information about consumer resulting in consumer pressure and brings about competition between competing providers and suppliers. Therefore, innovation happens or disseminates after a public service staff realises that another employee has achieved improved outcomes. There is a need to improve service innovation in the public service, and this can be achieved through rewarding. Clearly, service innovation in the public sector is new, but it provides benefits to both the patients and service providers. Changkaew, Vadhanasindhu, Taweesangsakulthai, and Chandrachai (2012) point out a number of conditions for innovation; service processes, service personnel skills, tools, safety factors, and technology. Although generating and implementing innovative ideas comes with a number of challenges, Plsek (2003) believes that the issues surrounding the diffusion of innovation are normally frustrating. Still, innovative ideas can naturally disseminate through social networks and contact, whereby groups and individuals can frame different needs and can interact with others having ideas that could fit the framed needs. Bessant and Mahe’s article explain the signifciance of injecting innovative solutions in the health sector, but what are the possibilities? The likelihood of innovation adoption as mentioned by Ezziane (2012) can be increased if it is made a health care policy. Clearly, the organisations in the health care sector need the skills and processes that could handle every unpredictable and emergent aspect of the process of innovation implementation. The diffusion and acceptance of innovation depends on the customisation as well as modification involved to fit in a certain context. Since innovation in the public sector has become a necessity, it needs a transparent leadership, culture, as well as infrastructure. This is steered by partnering with different lives and disciplines at the service point. Ezziane (2012) agrees with Bessant and Mahe that innovation is a suitable solution to the myriad challenges facing the public sector, but believes that this can be achieved by pushing for incentive that could facilitate the creation of a health policy, which rewards and promotes innovation. Kallio, Lappalainen, and Tammela (2013) believe that innovations in the public sector normally involve a strong value and social aspects that are naturally systemic. Clearly, service innovation is considered by Bessant and Mahe as a value in itself since it involves the process of sense-making, the changing circumstances are managed appropriately. Vries, Bekkers, and Tummers (2014) agree with them citing that processes of innovation are a fundamental ritual used by the organisation to attain legitimacy. Innovation in the public sector according to Akenroye (2012) can be achieved by responding to the social concerns and issues associated with the supply chain by means of sustainability undertakings. The problem facing the health sector as pointed out by Berwick (2003) is not innovation scarcity, but rather the innovative concepts dissemination. For this reason, Akenroye (2012) agrees with Bessant and Maher that organisations in the public sector must develop practices and competences that could promote generation of ideas. Conclusion In conclusion, Bessant and Maher with support from other studies have demonstrated that organisations in the public sector are initiating and implementing new ideas in unplanned way. The report has demonstrated that the diffusion of innovation must be systematic so as to be managed successfully. Service innovation in the public sector as emphasised by Bessant and Maher has taken a broader approach that embraces the efforts of practitioners, the patients, supporting agencies as well as the regulatory units. Although practitioners across the globe are using innovation to improve their practice outcomes, the notion of service innovation in the public sector is new and yet to be embraced widely. References Akenroye, T. O. (2012). Factors Influencing Innovation in Healthcare: A conceptual synthesis. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 17(2), 1-21. Albury, D. (2011). Creating the Conditions for Radical Public Service Innovation. The Australian Journal of Public Administration, 70(3), 227–235. Berwick, D. M. (2003). Disseminating Innovations in Health Care. JAMA, 289(15), 1969-1975. Bessant, J., & Maher, L. (2009). Developing radical service innovations in healthcare – the role of design methods. International Journal of Innovation Management, 13(4), 555–568. Changkaew, L., Vadhanasindhu, P., Taweesangsakulthai, D., & Chandrachai, A. (2012). Three Dimensions Model: Stage for Service innovation in HospitalThree Dimensions Model: Stage for Service innovation in Hospital. Interdisciplinary Journal of. Contemporary Research in Business., 4(2), 806-814. Ezziane, Z. (2012). Pathways and complexity of innovation in health care. Journal of Health Innovation and Integrated Care, 3(1), Pathways and complexity of innovation in health care. Kallio, K., Lappalainen, I., & Tammela, K. (2013). Co-innovation in public services: Planning or experimenting with users? The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 18(3), 1-16. Omachonu, V. K., & Einspruch, N. G. (2010). Innovation in Healthcare Delivery Systems: A Conceptual Framework. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 15(1), 1-20. Plsek, P. (2003). Complexity and the Adoption of Innovation in Health Care. Accelerating Quality Improvement in Health Care Strategies to Speed the Diffusion of Evidence-Based Innovations (pp. 1-18). Roswell, Georgia: Paul E. Plsek & Associates, Inc. Vries, H. d., Bekkers, V., & Tummers, L. (2014). Innovation in the Public Sector: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. EGPA conference, (pp. 1-30). Rotterdam. Read More