Feasibility of User Innovation in Healthcare

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to examine the significance and feasibility of user innovation in healthcare. First, we identified the classification and diversity of user innovators and user innovation. Next, based on this classification, we considered the feasibility of user innovation in healthcare. User innovation aimed at improving the quality of life of patients and those affecting the property of patients are considered to be highly feasible. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult for individual patients to develop drugs that act directly on the patient’s body. This is because for patients, barriers are very high in terms of expertise, equipment, costs, lead times, and regulations. It is practical for patient groups, not individual patients, to introduce subjects for a clinical trial to pharmaceutical companies, and to propose the design of clinical trials from the patient’s perspective. In Japan, there have been some cases in which patient groups and research institutes, such as universities, have cooperated to design clinical trials. However, there have been few cases in which patient groups and pharmaceutical companies cooperated. It is expected that collaboration among patient groups, research institutes and pharmaceutical companies will progress in the future.

Keywords

• patient innovation
• patient and public involvement
• patient group