When the physical patient becomes digital : A study of the innovation “digital health care center” on the Swedish market

Sammanfattning: Object of study: The innovation “Digital health care center” from a multi-level stakeholder’s perspective. Problem: A new technology era has opened up for new kind of innovations. Digital health care centers are a service that recently has been introduced on the Swedish market, which needs further investigation. To be able to better understand, explain and predict future behavior of an innovation the innovation could be theoretical conceptualized and classified. In the specific area of health care, new innovation should preferable be investigated in from a multilevel perspective, including different stakeholders opinions. One if the stakeholders are the customers. If new innovative products and services want to be successful, it required consumers to adopt the product or service, but relatively few studies have focused on the adoption of technology services among customers. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the innovation “digital health care center” in Sweden. Research question: How can the innovation “digital health care center” be described through a stakeholder perspective? Method: The empirical data were collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews and a structured quantitative questionnaire. Conclusions: The innovation digital health care center can from a multi-level perspective be described as an innovation that contributes and have an impact on the market and the healthcare industry in many ways. The innovation could be described as a complement to traditional health care. The innovation has influences from different theoretical classes of innovation which means that the innovation cannot be categorized in a specific class. The innovation can be considered successful because it facilitates for the patient.. According to the stakeholder group potential patients, a majority of the respondents thinks that increased availability and time-efficiency would be facilitating factors and reasons for using the service. The innovation is described by the various stakeholders as contributing to a better society. The care becomes more productive, cost effective, more available, and in the broader perspective, the innovation contributes to increased digitalization of the healthcare sector as a whole. There are many new possible fields of application which in the healthcare industry which could develop the innovation further. Strengths and opportunities with the innovation can be considering outweighing weaknesses with the innovation and potential threats of the innovation.