Collaboration in healthcare: Building effective transdisciplinary collaborations in open innovation initiatives

Emerging diseases like the current pandemic, COVID-19, and the increasing number of chronic diseases around the world are putting considerable pressure on the healthcare system, demanding for more services, with higher quality and more efficient. Hence the healthcare system needs to transition towards sustainable healthcare. An approach to achieve a transition towards sustainable healthcare is the Quadruple Aim. It is a practical framework that focuses on improving the health of the population, improving the work-life of care providers, enhancing patients experience and reducing health cost. To implement these four aims, it is necessary the collaboration between multiple disciplines and the implementation of an innovative approach. Open innovation provides a space for transdisciplinary collaboration and innovation to occurs. Hence, this graduation project explores transdisciplinary collaborations in the healthcare sector, focusing on open innovation initiatives. The research question for this study is how to build effective transdisciplinary collaborations in healthcare? This graduation project took place in two countries, the Netherlands and Mexico. In the Netherlands, I realised interview research in eight open innovation initiatives. Later, in Mexico, I did a case study at the Research and Technological Development Unit inside the General Hospital of Mexico ‘Eduardo Liceaga’. Afterwards, I realised a comparative analysis between both studies, followed by a design phase to build effective transdisciplinary collaborations in healthcare. The results of the two studies present a future vision and a future-oriented strategy for the Research and Technological Development Unit to improve collaboration between actors. The future vision contributes to the alignment of the actors involved in the unit so that they can work in the same direction. The strategy is formed by three strategic lines: organisational and project development support, building a knowledge community, and promote and consolidate the unit. These strategic lines aim to guide the actors towards the future vision by suggesting a series of steps. The success of this initiative could contribute to boost innovation in healthcare. A suggestion for future research is on how design can facilitate the implementation of the strategy by considering the collaboration of all the actors present in the unit.Strategic Product Desig