The chemical framework: Exploring Europeanisation in French, Austrian, and Irish eHealth policy processes

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this article is to present a new “chemical” framework, through which heterogeneous observations on public policy‐making can be systematically interpreted. This chemical framework is based on a combination of policy stages and John W. Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework. This framework has three points of potential analytical leverage, which are identified in this article: the conceptualisation of temporal triggers that go beyond agenda‐setting, the opportunity to conduct holistic analyses of the policy processes, and a focus on the connections between policy stages and the way these connections affect the three streams. These three dimensions are explored by analysing the process of soft Europeanisation occurring in French, Austrian, and Irish digital health (eHealth) policies. The empirical sections therefore detail how EU‐induced changes may be conceptualised using the chemical framework, highlighting avenues for future research in Europeanisation and policy studies.