Understanding inter-organizational learning in healthcare. Breaking of silos and collaborating across boarders.

Licentiate thesis, 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to contribute with new knowledge on strategies and practices to support inter-organizational learning for the improvement of healthcare. The first research question is about practices of voluntary benchmarks able to support interorganizational learning in healthcare. The second research question investigates strategies and practices healthcare organizations can apply to overcome the barriers of interorganizational learning in integrated care. Method: This thesis use qualitative methods based on a participatory action research approach. Main results: The main results relates to three areas: a. stakeholder involvement for interorganizational learning in complex contexts of healthcare, b. network organizational structures of shared leadership for inter-organizational learning in integrated care, and c. more concrete design recommendations regarding strategies and practices to consider for inter-organizational learning in healthcare. Originality: The first contribution of this thesis is new knowledge regarding how to involve stakeholders in voluntary benchmarks and processes of inter-organizational learning in integrated care. The thesis also contributes on how to build organizational structures of shared leadership for inter-organizational learning in integrated care. In addition, the research offer new knowledge on design recommendations to consider when designing and implementing processes of benchmarking for improvement of healthcare, and interorganizational learning processer in integrated care.