This thesis reports from a telecare evaluation in a Norwegian municipality (2012-2016). The project was established to provide domestic results from a hitherto new field in the country to underpin future policy. This evaluation includes pre- and post-implementation data collection, which has been scarce in telecare. The methodological approach was realist evaluation that seeks to explore how telecare works, for whom, why and in which circumstances – or why it does not work. The research aimed to explore the hypothesis elicited from national policy documents: ‘If telecare is used, then people are enabled to remain safe in their own home for longer’. Various methods were used to gather data from multiple stakeholders as they have different knowledge about how the implementation developed. The methods in this evaluation included literature reviews, observations, and sequential interviews with users and relatives in addition to sequential focus groups with frontline staff. Realist evaluation was particularly suitable in demonstrating how and why telecare is useful to some users but not to others. Telecare had to match users’ abilities and needs for them to benefit from it. Telecare operates in a dynamic context, and therefore requires adjustment according to the user’s current situation, taking into account changes as they occur. This appears to have been often underestimated. Telecare holds a different position from other devices and technologies in people’s everyday life, which also needs to be acknowledged. Correct assessment is significant for users to obtain the intended effect from telecare. When telecare is correctly adjusted to users, it increases safety, which is essential for enabling older people to remain living at home. Several challenges in establishing telecare projects are identified and alternative ways to understand multi-disciplinary partnerships are suggested. By using realist evaluation the findings are nuanced and point to elements that are significant for achieving the intended outcomes.

Hospital administrators face challenges that arise from environmental factors or psychosocial factors, and lack resources to deliver valuable medical services to stakeholders, including patients and employees. A multicase study served to explore experiences and gain a broader perspective of hospital administrators' use of strategies to optimize patient services. Ten hospital administrators from acute care hospitals in Nevada and California were purposefully selected from the population of hospital managers with a minimum of 2 years of documented experience in successfully implementing management strategies to improve patient services. The conceptual framework was Drucker's management theory. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 administrators, from the participants' archival documents, and from hospital archives. Interview transcripts and data from multiple hospital locations were coded and analyzed using methodological triangulation. Five themes identified from data analysis were triple-aim strategy, evidence-based practice, lean methodology, public health strategy, and innovation strategy. Implementing the appropriate strategy in each hospital setting might facilitate identification of elements that are lacking, mitigating, or slowing down the hospital improvement process. The findings of this study might contribute to positive social change by creating platforms for sharing information among patients and providers, payors, pharmacies, and policymakers.

Det finns ett uttalat behov av nya innovativa vårdmodeller inom hälso- och sjukvården. Svensk vård står inför signifikanta utmaningar och karaktäriseras av brist på sjukvårdsplatser, eskalerande kostnader och minskat patientförtroende. Hospital at Home (HaH) erbjuder möjligheter till förbättrad tillgänglighet, kostnadseffektivitet och patienttillit inom vården, men dess implementering begränsas av bristande förståelse för rådande finansiella förutsättningar, otillräckliga regelverk och inadekvata ersättningsmodeller. Denna studie syftar till att fördjupa förståelsen för de finansiella förutsättningar som påverkar implementeringen av innovativa vårdmodeller, såsom HaH, i komplexa decentraliserade sjukvårdssystem. Genom att utveckla ett teoretiskt ramverk som utforskar hur befintliga ersättningsstrukturer påverkar införandet av innovativa vårdformer, syftar denna studie till att bidra till förbättrat strategiskt beslutsfattande för en framgångsrik implementering och effektiv integrering av HaH i den svenska vården. Studien har tillämpat en utforskande abduktiv ansats, vilken realiserats genom en mixad metod som kombinerar enkäter och fallstudier. Datainsamlingen genomfördes via enkäter distribuerade till Sveriges 21 regioner samt genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med representanter från tre svenska HaH-initiativ. Studien konstaterar att förberedelse och implementering av vårdinnovationer i decentraliserade system påverkas av flertalet både yttre och inre faktorer. Regelverk och direktiv, avtal samt extern budgetering och resursfördelning utgör grunden för hur vårdtjänster struktureras och finansieras. Dessa externa ramar är fundamentala i skapandet av en miljö som främjar vårdinnovation. Lokala variationer, vårdaktörer, verksamhetsformer och ersättningsmodeller spelar sedan en direkt roll i hur olika vårdmodeller utformas, finansieras och levereras i praktiken. Slutligen understryker studien behovet av en nationell definition av HaH och dess verksamhetsform, revidering av begränsande regelverk samt inkorporering av rörliga ersättningskomponenter till HaH-vårdutförare för att underlätta en storskalig implementering av HaH i Sverige. / There is a pressing need for innovative care delivery models within healthcare. Swedish healthcare faces formidable challenges including a shortage of hospital beds, escalating costs, and diminishing patient trust. Hospital at Home (HaH) presents an opportunity to enhance accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and patient trust within the healthcare system. However, its widespread adoption is impeded by a lack of understanding of current financial preconditions, insufficient regulations, and inadequate reimbursement models. This study seeks to enhance the understanding of financial preconditions influencing the implementation of innovative care models, such as HaH, within decentralized healthcare systems. Through the development of a theoretical framework that examines how current compensation structures impact the adoption of innovative care models, this study aims to inform strategic decision-making for the successful implementation and effective integration of HaH into Swedish healthcare. This thesis employs an exploratory abductive approach, utilizing a mixed-methods strategy that combines surveys and case studies. Data was collected through surveys distributed across all 21 Swedish regions, complemented by semi-structured interviews with representatives from three Swedish HaH initiatives. The study finds that the preparation and implementation of healthcare innovations in decentralized systems are significantly shaped by a range of external and internal factors. Regulatory frameworks, contractual agreements, and mechanisms for budgeting and resource distribution form the basis for how healthcare services are structured and financed. These external factors are fundamental in creating an environment that promotes healthcare innovation. Moreover, local variations, healthcare providers, operational forms, and reimbursement models directly influence how different care models are designed, financed, and delivered in practice. Finally, the study highlights the critical need for a national definition of HaH, the revision of restrictive regulations, and the integration of variable reimbursement components to facilitate widespread adoption of HaH across Sweden.