Coproduction to improve preventive health services-experiences from Germany

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Systems
• Public Health
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Regular physical activity (PA) is crucial for managing non-communicable diseases.
• Exercise Referral Schemes (ERSs) are increasingly adopted globally.
• Germany's healthcare system has limitations in current PA promotion strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a regional ERS in Germany with potential for national scalability.
• To reflect on the challenges encountered during the co-production process of an ERS.
• To critically assess stakeholder participation and knowledge gaps in healthcare co-design.

Main Methods:

• An adapted Cooperative Planning approach involving academia and healthcare stakeholders.
• Co-production methodology for developing the ERS.
• Critical discussion of challenges in early-stage co-production.

Main Results:

• The co-production process highlighted challenges in methodology development.
• Stakeholder participation, knowledge gaps, and responsibility allocation were key issues.
• Patient perspectives were not fully captured despite organizational representation.

Conclusions:

• The co-production approach for ERS development presents significant challenges in healthcare settings.
• Further research is needed to refine co-production methodologies for healthcare interventions.
• Ensuring comprehensive patient voice remains critical for ERS success.