Towards sustainability in organisational learning and innovation in healthcare
- an in-depth longitudinal study of the “Memeologen Improvement Approach” (MIA)
This project is about better understanding how knowledge and evidence become established working methods and practices in healthcare, as well as how good working methods and practices can become recognised knowledge. The focus is on learning within organisations and the project follows two different areas within the county council in Västerbotten.
Problem area
Swedish society is facing major changes that affect health care. However, the strategies and approaches developed to meet these challenges are rarely analysed and disseminated. This means that the renewal required to create long-term sustainable systems is lacking. The gap between knowledge and practice is well known and requires deliberate strategies to bridge it.
Purpose of the project
The purpose of the project is to increase the understanding of how new knowledge can be incorporated into established working methods and accepted practices, and how experiences and well-functioning working methods can become widely accepted knowledge in health and social care.
Objectives
The overall goal of the project is to clarify approaches, opportunities and obstacles for how complex and hierarchical healthcare organisations can simultaneously meet requirements for quality, efficiency and planned episodic change as well as context-dependent problem solving and learning. The creation of a national network and research platform for organisational research in health and social care in northern Sweden is a sub-goal.
Background and content
Västerbotten County Council's (VLL) development unit Memeologen has designed an approach, called Memeologen Improvement Approach (MIA), for improvement work, organisational learning and innovation. For many years this has been successfully applied in local units in county councils and municipalities. MIA is based on theories about systems, quality development, learning and organization supported by the unit's own experiences. VLL has now decided to spread MIA to all activities and organizational levels.
The project covers several research areas and perspectives. Data collection and analysis is carried out at individual, group and organisational level regarding e.g. changes in organisational processes, clinics, thematic areas (e.g. healthcare associated infections), professions and work groups. The development of key personnel is monitored over time.
Expected results
The project is expected to provide new knowledge about organisational learning and change that can be used in the dissemination of other innovations and programs in the public sector, nationally and internationally. The fact that researchers, Memeologists and practitioners work together is expected to influence and develop not only MIA but also specialist healthcare and the Salut initiative, among other things by clarifying approaches and assumptions and linking these to established theory.
Funders
The project is financed by: Vårdalstiftelsen, Vinnova, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL).
Project group
Some of the participants:
Lars Weinehall, Umeå University, project manager
Monica Nyström, Karolinska Institutet, project manager
Ulf Andersson, Västerbotten County Council
Kristina Edvardsson, Umeå University
Rickard Garvare, Luleå University of Technology
Elisabet Höög, Umeå University
Anneli Ivarsson, Umeå University
Leif Stening, Umeå University
Publications
Nyström, M. Garvare, R. Höög, E. & Stening, L. (2009). The challenges of developing health promotion in health care - Investigating the process of learning and change. XIth European Conference on Organizational Psychology and Human Service Work: New challenges and interventions in human services. Lisbon, October, 22-24.
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