Odense University Hospital adopts Innovation Strategy for 2016-2018
The strategy sets an overall direction for the hospital's innovation efforts until 2018.
OUH must step up research into and assessment of the benefits of innovative technologies and processes. At the same time, there must be greater focus on involving patients and relatives in the development of new solutions, just as it must be easier for employees to contribute to the development by having a place to submit their good suggestions for new ideas and their realisation in practice.
These are some of the specific goals in OUH's first innovation strategy, which runs until 2018 and has just been adopted by the executive board.
The strategy primarily sticks to the overall lines and - on the basis of experience up to 2018 - must be replaced by an edition with several concrete targets and proposals for means to achieve these targets.
The strategy describes how innovation efforts must be aimed at medical and digital technologies and solutions that:
- Improves the interaction between patients/relatives and the hospital
- Contributes to the efficient operation of the hospital
- Improves the clinical methods and workflows at the hospital as well as the collaboration with municipalities and general practitioners
To support the strategy, the executive board has also set aside funds for an innovation pool, which gives OUH's departments the opportunity to strengthen innovation efforts within the areas defined in the strategy. The pool's funds and how to access them are currently being described and defined, and are expected to be ready at the beginning of autumn.
OUH's innovation strategy must be seen in the context of OUH's Development Plan, the Southern Danish Improvement Model, the Health Agreements in the Region of Southern Denmark and other regional and national initiatives in the area.
The anchoring of the strategy is placed in the Centre for Innovative Medical Technology (CIMT), which is Denmark's largest research and innovation unit within health technology and telemedicine, but the implementation of the strategy will take place in close cooperation with OUH's clinical departments and staff, all of whom have a stake in strengthening innovation efforts at OUH.