Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CHERRIES (Constructing Healthcare Environments through Responsible Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategies)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-04-01 bis 2023-02-28
The healthcare sector is undergoing tremendous changes throughout Europe as the systems are facing increasing demand due to aging societies. In this context, decision-makers recognise innovation as a means to respond to these challenges and to support high quality, safe, and effective care. However, healthcare innovations rarely achieve widespread uptake despite evidence of their benefits. The CHERRIES project aimed to open innovation processes to improve the fit of developed innovations and to align the expectations of society with the outcome of innovation processes, to increase the likelihood of adoption. By including a wide range of stakeholders, we aimed to develop innovations in a responsible way, which means in an open, transparent and democratic process. We did that in a process that we call the CHERRIES Model.
The CHERRIES model, building on Responsible, Research and Innovation (RRI) and Open Innovation, has been tested in the context of policy experiments in the healthcare sector in three European territories - in Murcia (ES), Örebro (SE) and the Republic of Cyprus (CY). The foundation of RRI-based values ensured that the actions taken were not only effective but also ethical. At the core, the CHERRIES experiments consisted of the following: 1) An open Call for Needs was launched to identify innovation needs, which arise from stakeholders’ daily experiences. 2) In each region, we selected one Need and translated it into an Open Innovation Challenge. Solution Providers could apply with their innovative solutions to this Call. 3) A selected Solution Provider received a grant for co-creating the proposed solution together with the Need-Owners. During the implementation of these real-life experiments in three regions, we collected evidence about the CHERRIES Model’s characteristics. The main positive aspects of the model are:
• Speed: The process from identifying a Need to testing a co-created Solution took approximately one year in all three regions. The rapid prototyping and testing provide benefits for all involved stakeholder, but especially for businesses providing Solutions, as they can quickly assess how their Solution is performing under real-life conditions.
• Fit: The demand-oriented approach and co-creation warrants that the solution is suitable to the requirements in a specific context. The Model provides fit-for-purpose and fit-for-context by addressing a specific Need in a given context, whereby the co-creation aligns preferences and requirements in order to improve the Solution.
• Coalitions: The CHERRIES model is an efficient way of building topical coalitions around a perceived problem. The co-creation and testing process brings together the quadruple helix partners within a new and open network in a solution-oriented collaboration that supports the building of shared understandings, trust, and visions.
• Flexibility: The model proved to be very flexible. It can be adopted to varying contexts, and can and should be adjusted to regional cultural and institutional contexts in order to provide value-added to existing initiatives.
With these value propositions, the CHERRIES Model can be a great addition to the innovation toolboxes of actors aiming to change healthcare practices. However, when replicating the model, the lessons-learned from the CHERRIES experience should be taken into consideration. The main challenges identified are the needed Institutional ownership, arena for deliberation, and the sustainability after pilot. In order to maintain the strengths and mitigate the issues outlined above, a “Future CHERRIES Model” was created.
The CHERRIES model, building on Responsible, Research and Innovation (RRI) and Open Innovation, has been tested in the context of policy experiments in the healthcare sector in three European territories - in Murcia (ES), Örebro (SE) and the Republic of Cyprus (CY). The foundation of RRI-based values ensured that the actions taken were not only effective but also ethical. At the core, the CHERRIES experiments consisted of the following: 1) An open Call for Needs was launched to identify innovation needs, which arise from stakeholders’ daily experiences. 2) In each region, we selected one Need and translated it into an Open Innovation Challenge. Solution Providers could apply with their innovative solutions to this Call. 3) A selected Solution Provider received a grant for co-creating the proposed solution together with the Need-Owners. During the implementation of these real-life experiments in three regions, we collected evidence about the CHERRIES Model’s characteristics. The main positive aspects of the model are:
• Speed: The process from identifying a Need to testing a co-created Solution took approximately one year in all three regions. The rapid prototyping and testing provide benefits for all involved stakeholder, but especially for businesses providing Solutions, as they can quickly assess how their Solution is performing under real-life conditions.
• Fit: The demand-oriented approach and co-creation warrants that the solution is suitable to the requirements in a specific context. The Model provides fit-for-purpose and fit-for-context by addressing a specific Need in a given context, whereby the co-creation aligns preferences and requirements in order to improve the Solution.
• Coalitions: The CHERRIES model is an efficient way of building topical coalitions around a perceived problem. The co-creation and testing process brings together the quadruple helix partners within a new and open network in a solution-oriented collaboration that supports the building of shared understandings, trust, and visions.
• Flexibility: The model proved to be very flexible. It can be adopted to varying contexts, and can and should be adjusted to regional cultural and institutional contexts in order to provide value-added to existing initiatives.
With these value propositions, the CHERRIES Model can be a great addition to the innovation toolboxes of actors aiming to change healthcare practices. However, when replicating the model, the lessons-learned from the CHERRIES experience should be taken into consideration. The main challenges identified are the needed Institutional ownership, arena for deliberation, and the sustainability after pilot. In order to maintain the strengths and mitigate the issues outlined above, a “Future CHERRIES Model” was created.
To start, we mapped and studied the regional ecosystems, past innovations, and prepared the implementation of the policy experiments. We developed guidelines for mapping stakeholders, policies, and scientific strengths and executed this plan in co-creation with the territorial partners to help identify sources, and local specificities. The effort of this initial phase included the preparation of stakeholders for RRI-based demand articulation, experimentation, and co-creation. To this end, training events on how to answer the call and submit their applications were organised. This has been supported by the development of an RRI & Experiment toolbox, which collected multiple useful resources and tools to guide the project team and stakeholders.
The CHERRIES model was applied in of three regional policy experiments. All three regions went through the process of Need identification, selection of a Solution, and the co-creation of that Solution. In this process, the regional Needs that were identified in collaboration with the regional stakeholder systems included: the early detection of the progression of Multiple Sclerosis, Breaking and preventing involuntary loneliness among elderly, and the provision of medical services to the Cypriot citizens living in rural and remote areas. For these Needs, Solutions were identified and co-created via competitive Calls for Solutions, which granted the Solution Provides financial support for the co-creative development process.
Further, we aimed to initiate sustainable change. First, based on the results and learnings of the first two phases, we engaged regional stakeholder and policymaking systems in a reflection about current challenges and opportunities for advancing the innovation and healthcare systems. Second, through the engagement of four Mirror regions and the creation of the CHERRIES community, a network of regions working on responsible approaches to healthcare innovations has been established.
The CHERRIES project leaves a rich legacy that policy makers, similar projects and initiatives can build upon. Besides the CHERRIES community, key results are the outcomes from the experimentation in the three regions, 2) the Future CHERRIES Model, including templates and detailed process documentation 3) the CHERRIES Toolbox for RRI practices in healthcare, as well as 4) the regional policy recommendations.
The CHERRIES model was applied in of three regional policy experiments. All three regions went through the process of Need identification, selection of a Solution, and the co-creation of that Solution. In this process, the regional Needs that were identified in collaboration with the regional stakeholder systems included: the early detection of the progression of Multiple Sclerosis, Breaking and preventing involuntary loneliness among elderly, and the provision of medical services to the Cypriot citizens living in rural and remote areas. For these Needs, Solutions were identified and co-created via competitive Calls for Solutions, which granted the Solution Provides financial support for the co-creative development process.
Further, we aimed to initiate sustainable change. First, based on the results and learnings of the first two phases, we engaged regional stakeholder and policymaking systems in a reflection about current challenges and opportunities for advancing the innovation and healthcare systems. Second, through the engagement of four Mirror regions and the creation of the CHERRIES community, a network of regions working on responsible approaches to healthcare innovations has been established.
The CHERRIES project leaves a rich legacy that policy makers, similar projects and initiatives can build upon. Besides the CHERRIES community, key results are the outcomes from the experimentation in the three regions, 2) the Future CHERRIES Model, including templates and detailed process documentation 3) the CHERRIES Toolbox for RRI practices in healthcare, as well as 4) the regional policy recommendations.
The CHERRIES experiment addressed opportunities and challenges on the interface of challenge-based, economy-enhancing, and sector-specific policymaking. By addressing the societal challenge of health, demographic change and wellbeing, the CHERRIES project is placed right in the middle of a cross-cutting societal issue and demand-side innovation policy. In this context, CHERRIES went beyond the state-of-the-art by opening not only the solution development but also the problem definition. This is an essential step in democratising R&I systems and aligning the innovation outcomes with expectations of society. The main expected outcome of CHERRIES is a validation of this model and by creating and spreading practical knowledge about this processes model. It further highlights the need to consider the transformative implications of new healthcare practices on organisational and institutional contexts. An adoption of the CHERRIES model, or similar innovation process models, contribute to opening the Research and Innovation process and create transparent an democratic working methods. This has transformative implications for the organisations involved and the developed innovations can contribute to solving societal, democratic, environmental, economic and challenges.