The role and tasks of patient groups as an innovator of health and medical system : Focused on the activities of Korean Society Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

The health and medical service paradigm is changing from provider-centered treatment to consumer-centered prevention and management. As medical expenses increase due to an increase in the number of chronically ill patients, national policy support is in progress to increase their healthy lifespan. The perception of the patient is also changing from a passive object to a subject. Accordingly, discussions on how to re-establish the role of the patient and organize and grow as an innovation agent are also in full swing. In this study, the case of ‘Korean Society Type 1 Diabetes’, which is leading user-driven innovation activities in the living lab method. The Korean Society Type 1 Diabetes has been building a new patient-led disease management system by not only developing patient-led devices, but also taking the lead in medical policies and improving social awareness. In particular, since it was an ‘undone science’ field that specialized institutions and related organizations were not interested in, patients and their families as the parties and the final user are making related technologies, laws, and institutions. By operating a field-based, patient-led living lab, it is becoming a major player of building a patient-centered research platform while developing capabilities and creating alternatives to problem-solving. Through technological experiments, network expansion, and related institutional innovation activities related to type 1 diabetes, patient group is conducting a leading experiment in achieving a transition from a hospital and treatment-oriented health care system to a patient-centered, prevention and care-centered health care system.