Users' search mechanisms and risks of inappropriateness in healthcare innovations: The role of literacy and trust in professional contexts

Abstract

In the context of professional service organizations, user engagement with knowledge search might generate significant risks of inappropriateness to innovation processes. Previous research suggests that professionals would then keep users at arms' length, controlling the design and implementation of innovations internally. This study overcomes this view investigating how professional service organizations can enable users' knowledge search while controlling for the risks of inappropriateness. Combining a qualitative research on 5 innovation processes in healthcare organizations with quantitative research on 110 service users, our findings highlight that professional providers, such as senior clinicians, shaped their tactics according to the ‘threats’ of laggards, i.e. users searching knowledge outside of professional logics of appropriateness; more than to the opportunities of lead-user communities. Professional providers sought to “activate” users' engagement with knowledge search by investing on their literacy, i.e. showing the basics of the logic of appropriateness informing their decision; and on trust relationships, i.e. becoming transparent on the criteria of knowledge selection during the innovation processes

User innovation rings the bell for new horizons in e-health: a bibliometric analysis

“…The results of some studies regarding the application of UI in health care are at odds with previously discussed research through raising issues of appropriateness (Radaelli et al. , 2017).…”

“…The results of some studies regarding the application of UI in health care are at odds with previously discussed research through raising issues of appropriateness (Radaelli et al, 2017). As stated by Silva (2017), health is a sensible socioeconomic issue that is prone to criticism when users with no medical education are involved.…”

Glucometer Usability for 65+ Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Insights on Physical and Cognitive Issues

“…Finally, the participants agreed on the urgency to involve patients in the development of devices. Co-design and co-production of innovation in healthcare [27] must be on the agenda of policy makers and developers. Collecting the "voice" of patients-especially those aged 65 years and above-is necessary to increase the acceptance of these innovations and exploit their potential.…”

Search mechanisms and innovation: An analysis across multiple perspectives

“…In fact, based on an exploratory case study of an intermediary platform that proposes novelty driven search practices -ideXlab -results show how this intermediary can accelerate the value recognition function of absorptive capacity and, therefore, can potentially facilitate further diffusion of knowledge. The intermediary, by relying on contemporary techniques of browsing big data based on "novelty-search" algorithm, increases the chances to speed up the knowledge acquisition process and allows for more efficient open innovation initiatives Radaelli et al (2017). investigate the engagement of users (i.e., patients?)…”