The project is cross-project, spanning projects , , and , and is based on the idea that stakeholder engagement is crucial in designing interventions. The goal is to develop knowledge on how co-creation can be used and which strategies are most useful to address needs within intervention research in the elderly field.
The research question is: How can co-creation methods be used to improve the user experience and enhance usability, as well as strategies for implementation in various phases of interventions aimed at older adults living with frailty?
We borrow the phrase 'all things co-' from Pérez Jolles (2022) and colleagues to avoid getting stuck in semantics but to highlight an integration of methods for collaborating, creating, and exploring shared challenges together (i.e., with older adults, relatives, healthcare professionals, home care staff, care managers/social workers, and representatives from the private/public sector at various levels) to improve the user experience, increase usability, and develop implementation strategies.
Methodologically, the project is based on co-creation, which has proven relevant in several research contexts focused on healthcare. The project will use an innovative combination of visual and qualitative interview methods to generate data together with stakeholders who contribute to identifying priorities, actively working on the design of the intervention, and planning the future implementation of research results. In this program, efforts range from healthcare-regulated systems in project to municipality-regulated systems in project and . Therefore, there will be different types of stakeholders, and different parts of the efforts will be the focus. For example, project will start with a literature study and workshops to integrate knowledge/experiences from two separate previous intervention studies within primary care, while project will begin with previous interview and process evaluation materials. Results from co-creation can include intervention materials to be used with older adults, educational materials to train staff, or methods for an intervention to meet the needs of stakeholders.
The selection will be targeted and include older adults and all stakeholders. Recruitment for each project will be based on the unique needs of the project. Measures will be taken to ensure that relevant characteristics are represented, such as gender, living conditions, and education level. In the first step, available data from previous projects, a review of previous evidence from the literature, and consultation with stakeholders will be conducted. In the second step, co-creation methods, including a combination of group work, interviews, observations, visualizations, and dialogue, will be used to improve, reshape, or renew parts of the intervention that are prioritized. In step 3, intervention and educational materials will be iteratively tested. Examples of prototypes include: 1) digital learning platforms, 2) educational materials such as slideshows, short instruction manuals, and educational guides, 3) practical exercises, and 4) processes for the interventions. Data will be processed in a two-step process and will include both thematic and hermeneutic analyses.