Innovation in relation to health care organisations and policymaking
In recent years, policymakers in the UK and beyond have sought to harness the health care sector as a site of research and a source of innovation. Yet the process of innovation in health care organisations is rarely straightforward. Few such organisations are optimally designed to support innovation – they can be too hierarchical or lack resources, infrastructure or leadership. Technology projects in particular almost invariably cut across multiple organisations, sectors and stakeholders, adding to the complexity and risks involved in implementation.
Far from being a rational, predictable and evidence-based science, policymaking is a complex art made largely of rhetoric. Metaphors for policymaking include social drama, contact sport and ‘the authoritative exposition of values’ (attributed to Rudolf Klein). Furthermore, policymaking operates on a timescale (days, weeks or months) that meshes poorly with the timescale of research and innovation (years and even decades). Policymakers work with finite budgets, but expectations and demand for health care innovations are increasing apace.
This module will introduce key principles, theories and methods which underpin the study of health care organisations and health care policymaking. You will have the chance to work through real-world examples of efforts to innovate in the health care sector.
The last date for receipt of complete applications is 5pm Friday 24th May 2024. Regrettably, late applications cannot be accepted.
Course Aims
On completion of this module we expect our students to be able to:
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Give a critical account of the multiple interacting influences at organisational and policy level that may affect the fortunes of a health care innovation
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Using a specific worked example, identify how these different influences play out (or are likely to play out), and propose measures to maximise the success of the project
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Analyse the innovative potential of a health care organisation or policy context, and suggest measures to make this context more supportive of entrepreneurs
Research methods and techniques taught in this module:
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Organisational ethnography and case study
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Interpretive policy analysis
Examples of case studies to be discussed in this module:
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National e-health programmes – do policymakers learn from their own history or from examples elsewhere?
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Accelerated access initiative for new technologies