title: The role of patient narratives in healthcare innovation: supporting translation and meaning making.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and impact of patient involvement in locally defined improvement projects in two hospital clinics. The paper particularly aims to examine how patient narratives, in the form of diaries and radio montage, help to create new insights into patient experience for healthcare professionals, and support professionals' enrolment and mobilisation in innovation projects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two case studies were undertaken. These drew upon qualitative interviews with staff and participant observation during innovation workshops. Patient diaries and a recorded montage of patient voices were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings illuminate translation processes in healthcare innovation and the emergence of meaning making process for staff through the active use of patient narratives. The paper highlights the critical role of meaning making as an enabler of patient-centred change processes in healthcare via: local clinic mangers defining problems and ideas; collecting and sharing patient narratives in innovation workshops; and healthcare professionals' interpretation of patient narratives supporting new insights into patient experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates how healthcare professionals' meaning making can be supported by articulating, constructing, listening and interpreting patient narratives. The two cases demonstrate how patient narratives serve as reflective devices for healthcare professionals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study presents a novel demonstration of the importance of patient narratives for translating healthcare innovation in a clinical practice setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organization, Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne Reff
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D033262:Narration; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: Healthcare innovation; Healthcare professionals; Meaning making; Organizational change; Patient narratives; Translation