From Product to Tool: English Summary
The introduction of new technologies has been regarded as one solution to the health care cost crisis and the challenges presented by an ageing population. Information technology has been considered an avenue to shorter treatment chains, intensified co-operation and lower costs.
During the past few decades, the literature on innovations and product development has underlined the importance of co-operation between product developers and users for the successful implementation of innovations and technologies. The significance and value of technologies are not constructed until they are in use. Hence the book focuses on the following research questions concerning new technologies:
1) What is the significance of knowing the needs of the user community and individual users for the success of health care innovations?
2) What kind of functional changes and learning experiences are required by the introduction of technologies within the receiving organisations or co-operative networks?
3) What kind of models and tools have been devised for user participation in product development and for analysing user needs and actions and how are these methods evolving?
It is the general conclusion of the book that co-operation between developers and end users is vital to the effectiveness of a given technology.
The introduction of a new technology means more than just training to use a ready-made product. Upon introduction, various ways of using the product are created and they often call for changes in work organisation. Technical and social innovations are mutually interdependent. Therefore, the focus of product development should be shifted from technical specifications to planning practical ways in which the product will be used.
The developers should observe product use in natural settings and activate users to develop the product and service further. The purchasers of technologies, on the other hand, should require that the suppliers collaborate with the users in developing the product to enhance the quality and economy of the activities. Of the user, this often requires commitment to planning the necessary organisational changes. Technology project funding should demand that end users are involved in the project and that the focus is shifted from mere technologies towards developing practical service concepts, a criterion that should also be included in project evaluation.
Research on product development and user activity should look more closely into everyday practices, working communities and inter-actor networks. To understand the problems inherent in introducing technologies, one should analyse the related trends over time, such as transitions in health care or during the life cycle of the technology studied. Emphasis should also be shifted from observation and reporting to co-operation with the subjects and to development interventions supporting the quality of activities.
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