The innovation tool, called Step Up, is the result of research conducted by the Centre for Connected Care (C3). The center has been a so-called "Centre for research-based innovation (SFI)," funded by the Research Council of Norway.
C3's goal has been to find effective methods for service development in the healthcare sector. Halogen developed the Step Up method in collaboration with users from hospitals and municipalities, and in close dialogue with C3's researchers.
"Together with Halogen, C3 has taken our research out of the drawer and into the world."
- Kari J. Kværner, Centre Director, C3
Photo from a workshop using Step Up in Tromsø.
Four steps towards health innovation
When health innovators develop new healthcare services, they need research-based tools and methods. Using existing methods, a solution needs to be implemented before its effectiveness can be measured. This can lead to questionable innovations being adopted, while good innovations may never reach patients.
C3 has researched how early method evaluation can be used to assess utility during an innovation project. An ongoing evaluation allows innovators to adjust their course and reject ineffective solutions at an early stage.
Step Up consists of four steps that take an innovation team from an idea to actual change. The stepwise approach in Step Up thus reveals whether a solution will work or not – well in advance of implementation. This way, the solution with the greatest potential gain is chosen, saving both time and resources.
Each part of Step Up includes activities on A3 sheets that the team completes together. Halogen has used insights into user needs and knowledge of health innovation to develop these activity sheets. We have also designed a method handbook that describes how leaders and innovators can use Step Up.
Read more about the method, and download the activity sheets and method handbook at the National Centre for E-health Research: Create Better Healthcare Services with Step Up.
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Step Up consists of four parts: a solid foundation, a valuable solution, a shared roadmap, and a steady leader.
Used by Practitioners and Students
Halogen has helped C3 promote Step Up so that more people can utilise its activities. The method is already part of the Master's program in Service Development Management at BI Norwegian Business School, where we contributed to developing teaching materials.
In addition, an increasing number of hospitals and municipalities across the country are using Step Up in their innovation work. So far, we've seen innovators use Step Up in efforts to introduce digital treatment and home follow-up related to everything from elderly care to antibiotic treatment.
In close collaboration with C3, Halogen has laid the groundwork for even more people to think smartly about future healthcare services. We have created a digital e-learning course for healthcare sector employees, developed animation videos and course materials that provide a basis for Step Up certification, and planned and conducted both physical and hybrid Step Up courses.
The method handbook describes what Step Up is and how to use it. It also includes some of the activities.
Learn more about Step Up:
Video: Von communication / OUS
Long-standing partnership
In recent years, we have also helped C3 in disseminating its research through various channels, both nationally and internationally. We have used our expertise in service design, pedagogy, and research dissemination to, among other things:
plan and execute research seminars and the C3 conference, "The Connected Care Conference."
be a central part of the editorial team for the Handbook of Health Innovation, the center's dissemination anthology published by Cappelen Damm Akademisk, 2023.
support C3 in writing the final report to the Research Council of Norway.
