'It's like a never-ending diabetes youth camp': Co-designing a digital social network for young people with type 1 diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Living with a chronic condition such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects everyday life and support from others experiencing a similar situation can be helpful. A way to receive such support is to use an online network where people can connect and share experiences. Research has described the benefits of using such tools for connecting patients. The aim of this study was to describe the co-design of a social network for young people with T1D and to describe their experiences when using this network. METHODS: A co-design approach was used, following three steps adapted from Sanders and Stappers (2008). In all, 36 adolescents with T1D participated. Data in the form of recordings and notes from telephone interviews, workshops and focus groups were collected and then analysed using content analysis. Numerical data from the digital platform were also used. FINDINGS: For the interpersonal values, supporting, learning and relating to emerge, the framework of the network must be appealing and user-friendly. The limits of time and place are eliminated, and there is a possibility for many more to join in. CONCLUSION: Co-design ensures that what stakeholders think is important forms the basis for the design. The interpersonal values that are promoted are ones that only the exchange of lived knowledge and experience can generate. It is complementary to the support that healthcare professionals can offer; thus, this kind of social network is important for improved, coproduced care. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The participants in the present study were persons living with T1D. They were active co-creators from the start to the end. An adult person with experience of living with T1D was involved as an advisor in the research team when drafting the manuscript.

What is best for Esther? A simple question that moves mindsets and improves care.

BACKGROUND: Persons in need of services from different care providers in the health and welfare system often struggle when navigating between them. Connecting and coordinating different health and welfare providers is a common challenge for all involved. This study presents a long-term regional empirical example from Sweden-ESTHER, which has lasted for more than two decades-to show how some of those challenges could be met. The purpose of the study was to increase the understanding of how several care providers together could succeed in improving care by transforming a concept into daily practice, thus contributing with practical implications for other health and welfare contexts. METHODS: The study is a retrospective longitudinal case study with a qualitative mixed-methods approach. Individual interviews and focus groups were performed with staff members and persons in need of care, and document analyses were conducted. The data covers experiences from 1995 to 2020, analyzed using an open inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: This study shows how co-production and person-centeredness could improve care for persons with multiple care needs involving more than one care provider through a well-established Quality Improvement strategy. Perseverance from a project to a mindset was shaped by promoting systems thinking in daily work and embracing the psychology of change during multidisciplinary, boundary-spanning improvement dialogues. Important areas were Incentives, Work in practice, and Integration, expressed through trust in frontline staff, simple rules, and continuous support from senior managers. A continuous learning approach including the development of local improvement coaches and co-production of care consolidated the integration in daily work. CONCLUSIONS: The development was facilitated by a simple question: "What is best for Esther?" This question unified people, flattened the hierarchy, and reminded all care providers why they needed to improve together. Continuously focusing on and co-producing with the person in need of care strengthened the concept. Important was engaging the people who know the most-frontline staff and persons in need of care-in combination with permissive leadership and embracing quality improvement dimensions. Those insights can be useful in other health and welfare settings wanting to improve care involving several care providers.

How a point-of-care dashboard facilitates co-production of health care and health for and with individuals with psychotic disorders: a mixed-methods case study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with psychotic disorders experience widespread treatment failures and risk early death. Sweden's largest department specializing in psychotic disorders sought to improve patients' health by developing a point-of-care dashboard to support joint planning and co-production of care. The dashboard was tested for 18 months and included more than 400 patients at two outpatient clinics. METHODS: This study evaluates the dashboard by addressing two questions: 1) Can differences in health-related outcome measures be attributed to the use of the dashboard? 2) How did the case managers experience the accessibility, use, and usefulness of the dashboard for co-producing care with individuals with psychotic disorders? This mixed-method case study used both Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROM) and data from a focus group interview with case managers. Data collection and analysis were framed by the Clinical Adoption Meta Model (CAMM) phases: i) accessibility, ii) system use, iii) behavior, and iv) clinical outcomes. The PROM used was the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), which assesses functional impairment and disability. Patients at clinics using the dashboard were matched with patients at clinics not using the dashboard. PROM data were compared using non-parametric statistics due to skewness in distribution. The focus group included five case managers who had experience using the dashboard with patients. RESULTS: Compared to patients from clinics that did not use the dashboard, patients from clinics that did use the dashboard improved significantly overall (p = 0.045) and in the domain self-care (p = 0.041). Focus group participants reported that the dashboard supported data feedback-informed care and a proactive stance related to changes in patients' health. The dashboard helped users identify critical changes and enabled joint planning and evaluation. CONCLUSION: Dashboard use was related to better patient health (WHODAS scores) when compared with matched patients from clinics that did not use the dashboard. In addition, case managers had a positive experience using the dashboard. Dashboard use might have lowered the risk for missing critical changes in patients' health while increasing the ability to proactively address needs. Future studies should investigate how to enhance patient co-production through use of supportive technologies.

Newly graduated nurses' experiences of the intervention graduate guidance nurses: A qualitative interview study.

AIMS: This study is describing newly graduated nurses' experiences of the intervention graduate guidance nurses. BACKGROUND: Newly graduated nurses need support to become established in the profession. The intervention was initiated to empower and support in the professional role. METHODS: A qualitative case study was conducted with semi-structured interviews, using a thematic content analysis. RESULTS: One overarching theme 'Organizational prerequisites', consisting of three themes, occurred: 'Activator' involved that the graduate guidance nurse was the activator creating a clear structure, and the wards became more attractive workplaces. 'Supportive nursing' meant that the graduate guidance nurse constituted an important support function which ensured patient safety. 'Professional development' created the opportunity for professional growth. CONCLUSION: Newly graduated nurses' experiences show that the creation of an organisational structure enabled the graduate guidance nurses to be an important support and contributed to professional development. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: In health care organisations, strategic decisions, management support and clear goals are important to create the organisational conditions to improve safer care. Support from experienced nurses is a large enabler in supporting newly graduated nurses developing in their profession. The results of the current study can be transferred to other similar health care organisations and can be supporting managers who plan to initiate support to newly graduated nurses.

Healthcare professionals' experiences of being observed regarding hygiene routines: the Hawthorne effect in vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: The Hawthorne Effect is the change in behaviour by subjects due to their awareness of being observed and is evident in both research and clinical settings as a result of various forms of observation. When the Hawthorne effect exists, it is short-lived, and likely leads to increased productivity, compliance, or adherence to standard protocols. This study is a qualitative component of an ongoing multicentre study, examining the role of Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy after vascular surgery (INVIPS Trial). Here we examine the factors that influence hygiene and the role of the Hawthorne effect on the adherence of healthcare professionals to standard hygiene precautions. METHODS: This is a qualitative interview study, investigating how healthcare professionals perceive the observation regarding hygiene routines and their compliance with them. Seven semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted, each interview included a different staff category and one individual interview with a nurse from the Department for Communicable Disease Control. Additionally, a structured questionnaire interview was performed with environmental services staff. The results were analysed based on the inductive qualitative content analysis approach. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four themes and 12 subthemes. Communication and hindering hierarchy were found to be crucial. Healthcare professionals sought more personal and direct feedback. All participants believed that there were routines that should be adhered to but did not know where to find information on them. Staff in the operating theatre were most meticulous in adhering to standard hygiene precautions. The need to give observers a clear mandate and support their work was identified. The staff had different opinions concerning the patient's awareness of the importance of hygiene following surgery. The INVIPS Trial had mediated the Hawthorne effect. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the themes identified, encompassing communication, behaviour, rules and routines, and work environment, influence the adherence of healthcare professionals to standard precautions to a considerable extent of which many factors could be mediated by a Hawthorne effect. It is important that managers within the healthcare system put into place an improved and sustainable hygiene care to reduce the rate of surgical site infections after vascular surgery.

Quality as strategy, the evolution of co-production in the Region Jönköping health system, Sweden: a descriptive qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Pursuing the vision 'for a good life in an attractive region,' the Region Jönköping County (RJC) in Sweden oversees public health and health-care services for its 360 000 residents. For more than three decades, RJC has applied 'quality as strategy,' which has included increasing involvement of patients, family and friends and citizens. This practice has evolved, coinciding with the growing recognition of co-production as a fundamental feature in health-care services. This study views co-production as an umbrella term including different methods, initiatives and organizational levels. When learning about co-production in health-care services, it can be helpful to approach it as a dynamic and reflective process. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the examples of key developmental steps toward co-production as a system property and to highlight 'lessons learned' from a Swedish health system's journey. METHOD: This qualitative descriptive study draws on interviews with key stakeholders and on documents, such as local policy documents, project reports, meeting protocols and presentations. Co-production initiatives were defined as strategies, projects, quality improvement (QI) programs or other efforts, which included persons with patient experience and/or their next of kin (PPE). We used directed manifest content analysis to identify initiatives, timelines and methods and inductive conventional content analysis to capture lessons learned over time. RESULTS: The directed content analyses identified 22 co-production initiatives from 1997 until today. Methods and approaches to facilitate co-production included development of personas, storytelling, person-centered care approaches, various co-design methods, QI interventions, harnessing of PPEs in different staff roles, and PPE-driven improvement and networks. The lessons learned included the following aspects of co-production: relations and structure; micro-, meso- and macro-level approaches; attitudes and roles; drivers for development; diversity; facilitating change; new perspectives on current work; consequences; uncertainties; theories and outcomes; and regulations and frames. CONCLUSIONS: Co-production evolved as an increasingly significant aspect of services in the RJC health system. The initiatives examined in this study provide a broad overview and understanding of some of the RJC co-production journey, illustrating a health system's approach to co-production within a context of long-standing application of QI and microsystem theories. The main lessons include the constancy of direction, the strategy for improvement, engaged leaders, continuous learning and development from practical experience, and the importance of relationships with national and international experts in the pursuit of system-wide health-care co-production.

The role of co-production in Learning Health Systems.

BACKGROUND: Co-production of health is defined as 'the interdependent work of users and professionals who are creating, designing, producing, delivering, assessing, and evaluating the relationships and actions that contribute to the health of individuals and populations'. It can assume many forms and include multiple stakeholders in pursuit of continuous improvement, as in Learning Health Systems (LHSs). There is increasing interest in how the LHS concept allows integration of different knowledge domains to support and achieve better health. Even if definitions of LHSs include engaging users and their family as active participants in aspects of enabling better health for individuals and populations, LHS descriptions emphasize technological solutions, such as the use of information systems. Fewer LHS texts address how interpersonal interactions contribute to the design and improvement of healthcare services. OBJECTIVE: We examined the literature on LHS to clarify the role and contributions of co-production in LHS conceptualizations and applications. METHOD: First, we undertook a scoping review of LHS conceptualizations. Second, we compared those conceptualizations to the characteristics of LHSs first described by the US Institute of Medicine. Third, we examined the LHS conceptualizations to assess how they bring four types of value co-creation in public services into play: co-production, co-design, co-construction and co-innovation. These were used to describe core ideas, as principles, to guide development. RESULT: Among 17 identified LHS conceptualizations, 3 qualified as most comprehensive regarding fidelity to LHS characteristics and their use in multiple settings: (i) the Cincinnati Collaborative LHS Model, (ii) the Dartmouth Coproduction LHS Model and (iii) the Michigan Learning Cycle Model. These conceptualizations exhibit all four types of value co-creation, provide examples of how LHSs can harness co-production and are used to identify principles that can enhance value co-creation: (i) use a shared aim, (ii) navigate towards improved outcomes, (iii) tailor feedback with and for users, (iv) distribute leadership, (v) facilitate interactions, (vi) co-design services and (vii) support self-organization. CONCLUSIONS: The LHS conceptualizations have common features and harness co-production to generate value for individual patients as well as for health systems. They facilitate learning and improvement by integrating supportive technologies into the sociotechnical systems that make up healthcare. Further research on LHS applications in real-world complex settings is needed to unpack how LHSs are grown through coproduction and other types of value co-creation.

Using Complexity Assessment to Inform the Development and Deployment of a Digital Dashboard for Schizophrenia Care: Case Study.

BACKGROUND: Health care is becoming more complex. For an increasing number of individuals, interacting with health care means addressing more than just one illness or disorder, engaging in more than one treatment, and interacting with more than one care provider. Individuals with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are disproportionately affected by this complexity. Characteristic symptoms can make it harder to establish and maintain relationships. Treatment failure is common even where there is access to effective treatments, increasing suicide risk. Knowledge of complex adaptive systems has been increasingly recognized as useful in understanding and developing health care. A complex adaptive system is a collection of interconnected agents with the freedom to act based on their own internalized rules, affecting each other. In a complex health care system, relevant feedback is crucial in enabling continuous learning and improvement on all levels. New technology has potential, but the failure rate of technology projects in health care is high, arguably due to complexity. The Nonadoption, Abandonment, and challenges to Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability (NASSS) framework and complexity assessment tool (NASSS-CAT) have been developed specifically to help identify and manage complexity in technology-related development projects in health care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use a pilot version of the NASSS-CAT instrument to inform the development and deployment of a point-of-care dashboard supporting schizophrenia care in west Sweden. Specifically, we report on the complexity profile of the project, stakeholders' experiences with using NASSS-CAT, and practical implications. METHODS: We used complexity assessment to structure data collection and feedback sessions with stakeholders, thereby informing an emergent approach to the development and deployment of the point-of-care dashboard. We also performed a thematic analysis, drawing on observations and documents related to stakeholders' use of the NASSS-CAT to describe their views on its usefulness. RESULTS: Application of the NASSS framework revealed different types of complexity across multiple domains, including the condition, technology, value proposition, organizational tasks and pathways, and wider system. Stakeholders perceived the NASSS-CAT tool as useful in gaining perspective and new insights, covering areas that might otherwise have been neglected. Practical implications derived from feedback sessions with managers and developers are described. CONCLUSIONS: This case study shows how stakeholders can identify and plan to address complexities during the introduction of a technological solution. Our findings suggest that NASSS-CAT can bring participants a greater understanding of complexities in digitalization projects in general.

Quality indicators and their regular use in clinical practice: results from a survey among users of two cardiovascular National Registries in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the regular use of quality indicators from Swedish cardiovascular National Quality Registries (NQRs) by clinical staff; particularly differences in use between the two NQRs and between nurses and physicians. DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey study. SETTING: Two Swedish cardiovascular NQRs: (a) Swedish Heart Failure Registry and (b) Swedeheart. PARTICIPANTS: Clinicians (n =185; 70% nurses, 26% physicians) via the NQRs' email networks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of NQR use for (a) producing healthcare activity statistics; (b) comparing results between similar departments; (c) sharing results with colleagues; (d) identifying areas for quality improvement (QI); (e) surveilling the impact of QI efforts; (f) monitoring effects of implementation of new treatment methods; (g) doing research and (h) educating and informing healthcare professionals and patients. RESULTS: Median use of NQRs was 10 times a year (25th and 75th percentiles range: 3-23 times/year). Quality indicators from the NQRs were used mainly for producing healthcare activity statistics. Median use of Swedeheart was six times greater than Swedish Heart Failure Registry (SwedeHF; P < 0.000). Physicians used the NQRs more than twice as often as nurses (18 vs. 7.5 times/year; P < 0.000) and perceived NQR work more often as meaningful. Around twice as many Swedeheart users had the role to participate in data analysis and in QI efforts compared to SwedeHF users. CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents used quality indicators from the two cardiovascular NQRs infrequently (<3 times/year). The results indicate that linking registration of quality indicators to using them for QI activities increases their routine use and makes them meaningful tools for professionals.

Applying adult development theories to improvement science.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address how adult development (AD) theories can contribute to quality improvement (QI). Design/methodology/approach A theoretical analysis and discussion on how personal development empirical findings can relate to QI and Deming's four improvement knowledge domains. Findings AD research shows that professionals have qualitatively diverse ways of meaning-making and ways to approach possibilities in improvement efforts. Therefore, professionals with more complex meaning-making capacities are needed to create successful transformational changes and learning, with the recognition that system knowledge is a developmental capacity. Practical implications In QI and improvement science there is an assumption that professionals have the skills and competence needed for improvement efforts, but AD theories show that this is not always the case, which suggests a need for facilitating improvement initiatives, so that everyone can contribute based on their capacity. Originality/value This study illustrates that some competences in QI efforts are a developmental challenge to professionals, and should be considered in practice and research.

An Improvement Program as a Way to Intensify Inter-Professional Collaboration in the Community for People with Mental Disabilities: A Follow-Up.

The aim of the study was to follow up inter-professional experiences of improvement work one year after a completed CII improvement program aiming at improve health care and social services for people with mental disabilities living in ordinary housing. This study was performed with a qualitative descriptive approach which employed six focus group interviews followed by a thematic analysis. The results revealed four themes; Self-awareness and insights; Behavior and actions in daily practice; Organizational cultures and subcultures; and Organizational practices, using Ken Wilbers' integral theory of four quadrants of realities as a holistic frame in the discussion.

Evaluating a breakthrough series collaborative in a Swedish health care context.

This study evaluated the use of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative methodology in a Swedish county council improvement program, comparing measurements at the beginning and after 6 months. A questionnaire was used, and improvement processes and outcomes were analyzed. The results showed an overall large engagement in improvements, although the methodology and facilitators were seen as only moderately supportive.

Early phase clinical trials in pediatric oncology: Swedish pediatric oncologists' experiences of balancing hope and expectations in life-threatening illnesses.

Aim: To study Swedish pediatric oncologists' practical and emotional experiences of referring, including and/or treating children in early-phase clinical trials. Methods: A nationwide study was conducted using a mixed-method approach. Structured interviews based on a study-specific questionnaire and participants' personal reflections were utilized. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while participants' comments were analyzed using thematic analysis. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results: In total, 29 physicians with 4 to 32 years of experience in pediatric oncology participated, with 19 (66%) having > 10 years of experience. Three themes appeared: 1) Optimization-based approach focused on finding the most suitable treatment and care for every child with a refractory/relapsed cancer eligible for an early-phase clinical trial; 2) Team-based approach aimed at establishing local and national consensus in decision-making for treatment options, including early-phase clinical trials and palliative care; 3) Family-based approach in which the physicians provided families with actionable information, listened to their desires, and endeavored to maintain hope in challenging circumstances. Several participants (40% with ≤ 10 years of experience and 58% with > 10 years of experience) viewed the early-phase clinical trial as a potential "chance of cure". A majority (80%) of physicians with ≤ 10 years of experience, reported that they often or always felt personally and emotionally affected by communication regarding early-phase clinical trials. Delivering difficult news in cases of uncertain prognosis was identified as the major challenge. None of the study participants felt adequately prepared in terms of sufficient knowledge and experience regarding early-phase clinical trials. The physicians expressed a need for guidance and training in communication to address these challenges. Conclusions: Working with early-phase clinical trials highlight a field where physicians cannot solely rely on their expertise or past experiences, and where they are likely to be deeply emotionally involved. Physicians who care for children eligible for such studies require targeted educational initiatives and supervision.

Evaluating a questionnaire to measure improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement initiatives have expanded recently within the healthcare sector. Studies have shown that less than 40% of these initiatives are successful, indicating the need for an instrument that can measure the progress and results of quality improvement initiatives and answer questions about how quality initiatives are conducted. The aim of the present study was to develop and test an instrument to measure improvement process and outcome in Swedish healthcare. METHODS: A questionnaire, founded on the Minnesota Innovation Survey (MIS), was developed in several steps. Items were merged and answer alternatives were revised. Employees participating in a county council improvement program received the web-based questionnaire. Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The questionnaire psychometric properties were investigated and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The Swedish Improvement Measurement Questionnaire consists of 27 items. The Improvement Effectiveness Outcome dimension consists of three items and has a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.67. The Internal Improvement Processes dimension consists of eight sub-dimensions with a total of 24 items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the complete dimension was 0.72. Three significant item correlations were found. A large involvement in the improvement initiative was shown and the majority of the respondents were satisfied with their work. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric property tests suggest initial support for the questionnaire to study and evaluate quality improvement initiatives in Swedish healthcare settings. The overall satisfaction with the quality improvement initiative correlates positively to the awareness of individual responsibilities.

Meeting the challenge: ICU-nurses' experiences of lightly sedated patients.

BACKGROUND: Sedation of intensive care patients is necessary for comfort and to implement appropriate treatment. The trend of sedation has gone from deep to light sedation. The topic is of interest to intensive care nursing because patients are generally more awake, which requires a different clinical approach than caring for deeply sedated patients. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe intensive care unit (ICU) nurses experiences of caring for patients who are lightly sedated during mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A qualitative approach was used. Semi-structured interviews with nine intensive care nurses were conducted. The interview texts were subjected to qualitative content analysis, resulting in the formulation of one main category and six sub-categories. FINDINGS: The nurses' experience of lightly sedated patients was described as a challenge requiring knowledge and experience. The ability to communicate with the lightly sedated patient is perceived as important for ICU nurses. Individualised nursing care respecting the patients' integrity, involvement and participation are goals in intensive care, but might be easier to achieve when the patients are lightly sedated. CONCLUSION: The results reinforce the importance of communication in nursing care. It is difficult however to create an inter-personal relationship, encourage patient involvement, and maintain communication with deeply sedated patients. When patients are lightly sedated, the nurses are able to communicate, establish a relationship and provide individualised care. This is a challenge requiring expertise and patience from the nurses. Accomplishing this increases the nurses satisfaction with their care. The positive outcome for the patients is that their experience of their stay in the ICU might become less traumatic.

Lived experience of persons with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative interview study.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a substantial impact on quality of life and functional capability. The prognosis of MS has changed over time due to the development of increasingly effective therapies. As the knowledge and perceptions of persons living with chronic conditions increasingly have been acknowledged, it has become important to understand lived experiences with a focus on everyday events and experiences as a way of knowing and interpreting the world. Exploring context-specific lived experiences as a source of knowledge about the disease and care may contribute to more precision in designing care services. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of persons living with MS in a Swedish context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative interview study was conducted with both purposeful and random sampling strategies, resulting in 10 interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis generated 4 overarching themes with 12 subthemes, the 4 themes were: perspectives on life and health, influence on everyday life, relations with healthcare, and shared healthcare processes. The themes are concerned with the patients' own perspectives and context as well as medical and healthcare-related perspectives. Patterns of shared experiences were found, for example, in the diagnosis confirmation, future perspectives, and planning and coordination. More diverse experiences appeared concerning relations with others, one's individual requirements, symptoms and consequences, and knowledge building. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a need for a more diverse and coproduced development of healthcare services to meet diverse needs in the population with greater acknowledgement of the person's lived experience, including consideration of the complexity of the disease, personal integrity, and different ways of knowing. Findings from this study will be further explored together with other quantitative and qualitative data.

Patients' Experiences Using Closed Incision Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Dressing After Infra-Inguinal Vascular Surgery.

The PICO™ dressing utilizes incisional negative pressure wound therapy in reducing surgical site infection after vascular surgery; however, no patient-reported investigations are available. The objective was to explore patients experiences wearing the PICO™ dressing for 7 days. Nine men and 6 women were interviewed, and analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis. The PICO™ dressing system was well accepted by most patients. Most prominent problems were fear of dropping the pump to the floor, lack of information, and initial feelings of uncertainty. Four patients who had the PICO™ and standard dressing in opposite groins simultaneously, preferred the PICO™ dressing.

Professionals' experiences of using an improvement programme: applying quality improvement work in preschool contexts.

BACKGROUND: Improvement work can be used in preschools to enrich outdoor environment for children's better health. Effective improvement work can facilitate the necessary changes, but little is known about professionals' experiences of participation in improvement interventions. The aim was to evaluate how preschool staff experience quality improvement work, using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative improvement programme, to enhance outdoor environments. METHODS: An improvement intervention using a breakthrough collaborative was performed at 9 preschools in Sweden and examined with a longitudinal mixed method design. Staff completed questionnaires on 4 occasions (n=45 participants) and interviews took place after the intervention (n=16 participants). RESULTS: The intervention was successful in the sense that the staff were content with the learning seminars, and they had triggered physical changes in the outdoor environment. They integrated the quality improvement work with their ordinary work and increasingly involved the children. The staff tested improvement tools but did not find them entirely appropriate for their work, because they preferred existing methods for reflection. CONCLUSIONS: The challenges in quality improvement work seem to be similar across contexts. Using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative in a public health intervention is promising but needs to be integrated with preunderstandings, current reflections and quality tools and models.

Exploring, measuring and enhancing the coproduction of health and well-being at the national, regional and local levels through comparative case studies in Sweden and England: the 'Samskapa' research programme protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Cocreation, coproduction and codesign are advocated as effective ways of involving citizens in the design, management, provision and evaluation of health and social care services. Although numerous case studies describe the nature and level of coproduction in individual projects, there remain three significant gaps in the evidence base: (1) measures of coproduction processes and their outcomes, (2) mechanisms that enable inclusivity and reciprocity and (3) management systems and styles. By focusing on these issues, we aim to explore, enhance and measure the value of coproduction for improving the health and well-being of citizens. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Nine ongoing coproduction projects form the core of an interactive research programme ('Samskapa') during a 6-year period (2019-2024). Six of these will take place in Sweden and three will be undertaken in England to enable knowledge exchange and cross-cultural comparison. The programme has a longitudinal case study design using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Cross-case analysis and a sensemaking process will generate relevant lessons both for those participating in the projects and researchers. Based on the findings, we will develop explanatory models and other outputs to increase the sustained value (and values) of future coproduction initiatives in these sectors. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All necessary ethical approvals will be obtained from the regional Ethical Board in Sweden and from relevant authorities in England. All data and personal data will be handled in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations. Given the interactive nature of the research programme, knowledge dissemination to participants and stakeholders in the nine projects will be ongoing throughout the 6 years. External workshops-facilitated in collaboration with participating case studies and citizens-both during and at the end of the programme will provide an additional dissemination mechanism and involve health and social care practitioners, policymakers and third-sector organisations.

Identification of Children as Relatives With a Systematic Approach; a Prerequisite in Order to Offer Advice and Support.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate conditions at all system levels in a specific health care service to develop practices for identification of children as relatives. An interactive research approach with the intention to create mutual learning between practice and research was used. The participating health care service cared for both clinic in- and outpatients with psychiatric disorders. Health care professionals from different system levels (micro, meso, macro) participated, representing different professions. At the first project meeting, it was obvious that there was no systematic approach to identify children as relatives. At the micro level, activities such as a pilot survey and an open house activity were carried out. At the meso level, it was discussed how to better support collaboration between units. At the management (macro) level, it was decided that all units should appoint at least one child agent, with the aim to increase collaboration throughout the whole health care service. To change focus, in this case from only parents to inclusion of children, is an important challenge faced by health care services when forced to incorporate new policies and regulations. The new regulations contribute to increased complexity in already complex organizations. This study highlights that such challenges are underestimated.