Sebastian Merkel, Ruhr University Bochum

Background

• Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Social Sciences, section social policy and economy

• Multidisciplinary background (political science, STS)

• Main interest: Impact of digitalization on health and social care.

• How (digital) technologies are developed and designed, adopted and implemented, and diffuse.
• Role of entrepreneurs.

• Urban health
• Role of digital technologies in urban health  Rising importance vs. lack of implementation
• Participatory research and design (particularly in view of diverse target groups)
Sebastian Merkel, Ruhr University Bochum
Why participatory research and design?
• Participation and/or user involvement address several purposes or
“motivators” (Fischer, Peine & Östlund, 2020):
• Material (adoption, quality, acceptance);
• Soft (learning, understanding, feedback);
• Normative (empowerment, social impact, democracy).
• But also bears several risks
• Manifestation of negative stereotypes
• Selection bias
• Resource consuming

07.12.2020 Competence Field Metropolitan Research (KoMet) – Research Field „Urban Health
Sebastian Merkel, Ruhr University Bochum
Coop4Health
• “A co-operative is an autonomous
association of persons united
Citizens Health and Social Care
Providers
voluntarily to meet their common City &

economic, social, and cultural needs

Local Authorities
Insurers
and aspirations through a jointly
owned and democratically-controlled
3rd sector
Associations Employers
enterprise” (Girard, 2018:3)
COOPERATIVE
Communities

• Part of the project is a online platform, Industry, Start-

which supports users in managing

Sponsors ups
& Messengers
their (health-)data
 Platform will be developed usinga
Local Shops, Research
Health Services
participatory design approach
Coop4Health.NRW
Sebastian Merkel, Ruhr University Bochum
Ideas for cooperation
• Bachelor and master thesis on several topics
• User participation in design processes of digital technology
• Evaluation of digital technologies
• www.DigiHealthStart.NRW
• Startups in the field of digital health

 sebastian.merkel@rub.de

Coop4Health.NRW