Iterative co-creation in healthcare mobile app development

The diffusion of mobile phone applications offers healthcare professionals innovative digital channels to support their patients beyond the confines of the hospital. The clinician-patient relationship typically reflects a sensitive and personal interaction between service provider and service user. As such, creating relevant mobile app healthcare that respond to individual patient needs and requirements can be challenging. The co-creation literature suggests that service users can contribute their resources, including knowledge, to improve service design and delivery. However, few studies in this area demonstrate the precise mechanisms by which knowledge is exchanged and combined, particularly in an innovation context. Additionally, co-creation studies typically focus on relationships between service users and service providers. Mobile healthcare app development introduces an additional actor in the shape of software developers. To examine the resultant complexity and explain collaboration across knowledge boundaries, we draw on theory from boundary objects. We examine the triadic relationship between service providers (clinicians), service users (patients) and app developers in the co-creation of a mobile app for healthcare provision. Analysis of empirical data suggests that apps act as boundary objects, which serve to overcome boundaries in an iterative co-creation approach. This research contributes to understanding of co-creation processes in innovative service development by focusing on the exchange of knowledge across knowledge boundaries. It offers implications for practice and policy, while enhancing understanding of digital innovation.