Background: Identifying social innovation in health initiatives, promoting quality of life through them, and transforming current health conditions demand the knowledge, comprehension and appropriation of the theoretical and methodological developments of this concept. Academic developments in social innovation have mainly occurred in and been documented for English-speaking countries, although relevant experiences have been implemented in Latin America. In this article, we describe and analyze how social innovation in health is being approached and understood in this region. Main text: To identify the theoretical and methodological developments of social innovation in health between 2013 and 2018, a scoping review with a mixed approach was carried out. Eighty texts in English, Spanish and Portuguese were selected for a process of reflexive analysis of intra and intertextual reading. The approaches identified in the studied initiatives were complementary. The most applied approaches were innovation in health, technological innovation in health and social innovation, each with twelve publications, and social innovation in health and ecohealth with ten and seven publications respectively. The approaches showed a general interest in reaching the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Alma Ata Declaration and the Ottawa Letter. Conclusions: The social innovation in health approach in Latin America adopts educational strategies, identifies risk factors, optimizes resources, promotes interculturality, participation, community empowerment, and enhances intersectorality and interdisciplinarity. As an approach, process, program or solution, social innovation in health is a conceptual category under construction. This research provides a baseline for other systematic reviews on the subject.

ObjectivesUnderstanding the Latin American Social Innovation in Health (SIH) approach requires a process of typifying and identifying main criteria of the approach based on the employed practices of different health initiatives implemented throughout the region. This article presents a descriptive analysis of the main criteria of SIH.DesignTo identify the theoretical and methodological developments of SIH between the years 2013 and 2018, a scoping review was conducted using a mixed approach. 80 texts in English, Spanish and Portuguese were screened through a reflexive analysis process involving intratextual and intertextual reading.Setting and participantsThe documentary research covered journals, books and higher degree theses addressing experiences or theoretical constructs developed in the Latin American region.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe approaches identified in the studied initiatives were mutually complementary; moreover, based on the typification of the main criteria between approaches and implementation proposals, the convergences and divergences between SIH and other approaches found in the sample were identified. In most cases, the different approaches in the sample are committed to initiatives that include some degree of innovation, improve access to healthcare services and recognise in one way or another a public policy in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).ResultsEighteen characteristic criteria were identified, of which nine particularly differentiate SIH from other approaches conceptually and methodologically. Further work is essential to eliminate the vague delimitation between social and technological aspects of innovation.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that although the SIH concept is in construction, it is advancing down a path of recognition in the region, defining its role as an important field of study on social transformation in health and development.