Julia Amann*, Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Swiss Paraplegic Research & University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Nottwil, Switzerland Claudia Zanini, Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Swiss Paraplegic Research & University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Nottwil, Switzerland Mirjam Brach, Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Swiss Paraplegic Research & University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Nottwil, Switzerland Gerold Stucki, Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Swiss Paraplegic Research & University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Nottwil, Switzerland Sara Rubinelli, Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, Swiss Paraplegic Research & University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Nottwil, Switzerland Track: Research Presentation Topic: Participatory health care Presentation Type: Rapid-Fire Presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Sol Principe Room: B - Gibralfaro Date: 2014-10-09 02:50 PM – 03:35 PM Last modified: 2014-09-03

If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL).

Background
The evolution of the Web 2.0 environment has provided the ideal platform for the rise of what is commonly referred to as open innovation. The paradigm of open innovation postulates that organizations can and should harness internal as well as external knowledge. One way a company can seek outsider input is through online communities. Much attention has been given to these open innovation communities in the business context. Despite this, only little is known about the potential benefits these communities could have for healthcare institutions. Previous research in the field has predominantly focused on assessing the impact of web-based communities on primary and secondary health and social outcomes. Due to high maintenance costs, the life span of online platforms launched for research purposes is often determined by grants. It is therefore crucial to provide sound evidence for the direct benefits that the maintenance of such platforms can have for the institution providing the service.

Objective
By focusing on the institutional perspective, the objective of this review is to identify the potential of open innovation communities in the healthcare context.

Methods
A scoping review is being conducted. The initial search was performed through the databases ISI Web of Science, Communication & Mass Media Complete, psycINFO, Business Source Premier, MEDLINE, ABI Inform Global and ABI Trade & Industry using key words which were generated through a preliminary literature review. Articles published between 1995 and 2013 were taken into consideration. A total of 9982 papers were identified through the systematic search of which 256 were included in the final selection. To provide the best possible overview of the current state of the field, case studies as well as grey literature were taken into account as well.

Results
The literature on open innovation communities is disperse. Journals from various disciplines ranging from political sciences to informatics are included in the final selection, pointing out the true interdisciplinary character of open innovation. What emerges is that there is no common definition of what constitutes an open innovation community and distinguishes it from other forms of online communities. Main findings include the identification of aspects that constitute the essence of an open innovation community, the design of different models of these communities, as well as drivers and barriers that favor or hinder their development and functioning. These findings are discussed with relation to the healthcare context, with a special focus on open innovation communities as a source of innovativeness for healthcare institutions. Here, it is claimed that open innovation communities can work together with healthcare institutions to refine innovative educational programs, and help to develop more effective strategies of self-management and related products based on the lived experience of individuals affected by specific health conditions.

Conclusions
This paper helps to shed light on the potential of open innovation communities as a form of interactivity in healthcare. Ultimately, it shows how the technical capabilities of open innovation communities can conform to the social reality of the way people collaborate in the context of a health condition.