8.A. Scientific session: Engage, co-create, collaborate, transform: uniting practice and research for health innovation
Authors:   Organised by: Maastricht University (Netherlands), University Hospital Ulm (Germany),   Chair persons: Sanne Gerards (Netherlands), Mathilde Crone (Netherlands)
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Public health practitioners are increasingly challenged by theoretical, political, and contextual changes and innovations. To ensure that innovations are sustainable, it is important not only to include stakeholders (e.g. end-users, implementers, policy-makers), but also to actively involve them in the development, implementation and transformation of public health innovations. Participatory action research, co-creation and stakeholder engagement are proven methods to co-produce effective innovations, strengthen existing networks and promote implementation by increasing fit and applicability in practice. In this workshop, our overall aim is to bring together practitioners and researchers to improve mutual understanding and adapt practices in development, implementation and transformation of innovations.
The objectives of the workshop are: 1) to increase participants’ understanding of the circumstances under which stakeholder involvement is most meaningful, and 2) to increase participants’ awareness of tools, strategies or theories to overcome challenges in stakeholder involvement.

Workshop format
The workshop consists of two parts: four interactive presentations that introduce important development steps of public health innovation and a problem-based discussion using a real-life case that builds upon the presentations. Interactive presentations describe (1) Theory of Change (ToC) approach for active collaboration with stakeholders, (2) co-creation of a serious game for and with healthcare providers, (3) visualising collaboration through Social Network Analysis to improve implementation, and (4) enhancing scale up with PRACTIS and Design Thinking. During the presentations, interactive tools are used to help identify the characteristics of the workshop participants (e.g. work setting, type of stakeholders), as well as their interests and needs (e.g. challenges faced, methods used). During the second part of the workshop, a health innovation is chosen from a number of pre-selected innovations from European contexts (e.g. BOB campaign, Schools4Health, LETHE) that aligns most with participants’ background and interests. Next, the main goal and known challenges within these innovations are introduced, which aids participants to formulate intermediate goals using the ToC approach. Then, they answer questions and make decisions for the discussed stages of innovation development (e.g. “Which gaps exist in the current network and how can we address them to improve collaboration?”, ‘What scalability challenges exist in this innovation and how can PRACTIS help identify them?”). In answering these questions, participants will share their knowledge and expertise with each other, while the chair facilitates the discussion. We are flexible in the format of the challenge-based discussion; depending on the number of attendees, we may work with a plenary discussion or smaller groups that work independently under the supervision of 1 or 2 facilitators each.

Key messages
• Non-linear approaches are needed to take into account the complicated and changing systems in which health innovation takes place.
• Theory of change, co-creation, social network analysis, PRACTIS and design thinking offer practical guidance for stakeholder involvement in specific phases of health innovations.