Operationalising Sustainability in Healthcare: Staging and Facilitating Collaborative Action through a Game-Based Tool
Authors
Gilbu, Ulrikke Louise ; Jensen, Mia Greve ; Vogel, Natacha Stjerne
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2025
Abstract
Sundhedsvæsenet forventes i stigende grad at reducere sit miljøaftryk, men oversættelsen af bæredygtighedsambitioner til klinisk praksis bremses af strukturelle, kulturelle og faglige barrierer. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan et deltagerbaseret, spilbaseret værktøj – The Path to the Climate Jewels – kan understøtte operationaliseringen af bæredygtighedsstrategier ved at engagere klinikere i at igangsætte og koordinere konkrete handlinger i hospitalsmiljøer. Projektet er udviklet i samarbejde med Sektionen for Grøn og Innovativt Indkøb i Region H og bygger på designforskning samt rammerne Staging Negotiation Spaces (SNS) og Arenas of Development (AoD). Gennem et kvalitativt casestudie med workshopobservationer, samarbejde med facilitatorer og deltagerfeedback analyseres, hvordan spillet bruges, faciliteres og forankres på tværs af organisatoriske grænser. Resultaterne peger på, at spillet fungerer som en strategisk intervention, der hjælper personale med at synliggøre og omformulere bæredygtighedsudfordringer, samskabe handlelige initiativer og sætte forandringer i gang i egen praksis; samtidig afhænger effekten af, hvordan forløbene iscenesættes og understøttes i konteksten. Afhandlingen bidrager med praktiske anbefalinger til implementering og teoretiske indsigter i, hvordan deltager- og spilbaserede værktøjer kan iscenesætte og facilitere samarbejdsdrevet forandring, og den viser, hvordan abstrakte mål kan omsættes til lokalt foranklede forhandlinger, der mindsker kløften mellem ambition og praksis i sundhedsvæsenets bæredygtige omstilling.
Healthcare systems are increasingly expected to reduce their environmental footprint, yet translating sustainability ambitions into clinical practice is hindered by structural, cultural, and professional barriers. This thesis examines how a participatory, game-based tool—The Path to the Climate Jewels—can help operationalise sustainability strategies by engaging clinicians to initiate and coordinate concrete actions in hospital settings. Developed in collaboration with the Section for Green and Innovative Procurement in the Capital Region of Denmark, the study is grounded in design research and the frameworks of Staging Negotiation Spaces (SNS) and Arenas of Development (AoD). Through a qualitative case study combining workshop observations, facilitator collaboration, and participant feedback, it analyses how the game is used, facilitated, and embedded across organisational boundaries. Findings indicate that the game acts as a strategic intervention that enables staff to surface and reframe sustainability challenges, co-design actionable initiatives, and start change within their own practice; its effectiveness depends on how it is contextually staged and supported. The thesis offers practical recommendations for implementation and theoretical insights into how participatory, game-based tools can stage and facilitate collaborative change, showing how abstract goals can be translated into locally situated negotiations that bridge the gap between ambition and practice in healthcare sustainability transitions.
[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]
Documents