Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Care Policy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Person-centered care and user involvement are increasingly prioritized in public welfare and health sectors.
• Existing organizational user involvement practices show a bias towards resourceful citizens.
• This bias risks exacerbating existing disparities in health and social care outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the underlying reasons for bias in organizational user involvement.
• To identify and provide examples of strategies for creating more inclusive user involvement.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of studies on user involvement in health and social care organizations.
• Analysis of factors contributing to bias in user engagement.
• Synthesis of best practices for inclusive user involvement.

Main Results:

• Identified factors contributing to bias include differing levels of social capital, digital literacy, and access to information among citizens.
• Resourceful individuals are more likely to participate effectively in user involvement processes.
• Lack of tailored support and accessible formats hinders participation for less resourceful groups.

Conclusions:

• Addressing the bias in organizational user involvement is crucial for equitable health and social care.
• Implementing inclusive strategies is necessary to ensure diverse voices are heard and valued.
• Further research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of different inclusive involvement methods.