User innovation in healthcare

: a perspective across developing countries

Abstract

The healthcare sector faces vital challenges, on the one hand the spread of chronic
diseases at a global scale. On the other hand, rising delivery costs in healthcare create a
necessity for innovation.
Research show patients and caregivers as one of the sources for innovation in
healthcare, by self-providing treatments, therapies or medical devices to better cope with
their unmet needs, imposed by health disorders commercially unattractive for medical
manufacturers’ investment (Oliveira et al., 2015).
Van der Boor et al. (2014) concluded that high levels of need, the existence of flexible
platforms, and the access to information and communication technology, contribute to the
occurrence of this phenomenon in the developing world.
Our research questions are: What are the major drivers for user innovation in
healthcare, in developing countries? Which socio-economic factors influence user
innovations development in these countries? Which local complementary assets affect
entrepreneurship? To what extent can user solutions, created in developing countries, be
adopted in developed regions?
We applied a multiple case-study method, conducting eleven semi-structured
interviews and four surveys of “patient innovators” from 13 developing countries.
86.7% of the innovations were developed by users with a clear perception of the
fragile conditions in the analysed countries. Reputation achieved amongst their communities
was recognized by users as another major driver (46.7%). The most problematic socioeconomic
factor verified is healthcare, where 86.7% of user innovators reported issues.
66.7% of users rely on complementary technologies as the major complementary asset.
Furthermore, 20.0% sample solutions could be adopted by developed countries.

Date of Award	26 Jul 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro Manuel Sousa Mendes Oliveira (Supervisor)