How does co-creation influence healthcare regulations? An analysis of co-creation in social innovation

Abstract

Social innovations are discussed as solutions to societal challenges, such as ensuring quality healthcare provision. Co-creation (i.e. the collaboration of actors who share their knowledge and skills), a primary feature of social innovation, can play a central role in changing formal institutions such as regulations, which is crucial to solving challenges in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare. However, research investigating how co-creation in social innovation can influence regulations is lacking. We investigate how co-creation can affect the ways social innovation actors influence healthcare regulations by analysing three social innovations in the Bernese Oberland, a Swiss mountain region facing the challenge of maintaining quality healthcare provision. Applying innovation biographies and semi-structured interviews, we find that two co-creating actor types were involved in influencing regulations: social innovation leaders and actors who fulfil central social innovation tasks. They influenced regulations by suggesting changes and inducing others to implement them, and they learned knowledge and skills in co-creation that helped them perform these activities. However, resources unrelated to co-creation also helped them influence regulations, such as actor networks and skills in persuading others. Co-creation in social innovation can thus support institutional change but is not a guarantee for it.

Keywords:

• Co-creation
• institutional change
• regulation
• healthcare
• social innovation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung [grant number 179112].

Notes on contributors

Pascal Tschumi

Pascal Tschumi studied geography and economics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. After completing his PhD on the topic of social innovations in mountain regions, he joined the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (WSL), where he conducts research in the area of socioeconomic scenarios.

Heike Mayer

Heike Mayer is Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Bern in Switzerland. She is a member of the Institute of Geography and the Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED) at the University of Bern. Her research is in urban and regional economic development with a focus on dynamics of innovation and entrepreneurship, place making and sustainability.