Modelling online user behavior for medical knowledge learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 889-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daifeng Li ◽  
Andrew Madden ◽  
Chaochun Liu ◽  
Ying Ding ◽  
Liwei Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Learning ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Factor Graph ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Accurate Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Domain

Purpose Internet technology allows millions of people to find high quality medical resources online, with the result that personal healthcare and medical services have become one of the fastest growing markets in China. Data relating to healthcare search behavior may provide insights that could lead to better provision of healthcare services. However, discrepancies often arise between terminologies derived from professional medical domain knowledge and the more colloquial terms that users adopt when searching for information about ailments. This can make it difficult to match healthcare queries with doctors’ keywords in online medical searches. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach To help address this problem, the authors propose a transfer learning using latent factor graph (TLLFG), which can learn the descriptions of ailments used in internet searches and match them to the most appropriate formal medical keywords. Findings Experiments show that the TLLFG outperforms competing algorithms in incorporating both medical domain knowledge and patient-doctor Q&A data from online services into a unified latent layer capable of bridging the gap between lay enquiries and professionally expressed information sources, and make more accurate analysis of online users’ symptom descriptions. The authors conclude with a brief discussion of some of the ways in which the model may support online applications and connect offline medical services. Practical implications The authors used an online medical searching application to verify the proposed model. The model can bridge users’ long-tailed description with doctors’ formal medical keywords. Online experiments show that TLLFG can significantly improve the searching experience of both users and medical service providers compared with traditional machine learning methods. The research provides a helpful example of the use of domain knowledge to optimize searching or recommendation experiences. Originality/value The authors use transfer learning to map online users’ long-tail queries onto medical domain knowledge, significantly improving the relevance of queries and keywords in a search system reliant on sponsored links.

Optimal pricing decisions for multichannel healthcare service with differing consemers’ knowledge levels

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Yang ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Xiabing Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Consumer Surplus ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Pricing Strategy ◽  
Optimal Pricing ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Levels ◽  
Offline Channels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish a stylized model to solve the pricing strategy, resource allocation and consumer surplus problems of multichannel healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach This paper considers a two-stage decision model with different levels of consumers’ knowledge. Faced with physical problems, knowledgeable consumers can solve their problems by seeking online healthcare channels, while unknowledgeable consumers need to make a two-stage decision to try to solve their problems. Findings The effective diagnosis rate and the proportion of knowledgeable consumers positively impact the optimal pricing in online and offline channels. In addition, a higher proportion of knowledgeable consumers does not result in higher demand in the online and offline channels. Moreover, if service providers lower their prices a small amount, they will lose some profit, but the consumer surplus will be higher, which will encourage more consumers to access healthcare services. Research limitations/implications Knowledge levels are simplified into two categories. Also, the authors assume the resources of online and offline healthcare services are comparable. Originality/value This paper incorporates the knowledge level and misdiagnosis rate into the model framework to study the most effective pricing strategy for multichannel healthcare services.

scholarly journals Patient attitudes toward physicians

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmud Akhter Shareef ◽  
Yogesh K. Dwivedi ◽  
Norm Archer ◽  
Mohammad Mahboob Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Patient Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Personal Physician ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Research Structure

PurposeStakeholders affiliated with healthcare services should understand patient attitudes and criteria that are involved in selecting a personal physician. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that are significant to patients in selecting or deselecting physicians as providers of healthcare services.Design/methodology/approachThe research structure was set to theorize the physician selection criteria (PSC) model into two phases. The first phase developed a conceptual model as revealed from healthcare consumer perceptions. The second phase was designed to test and validate the model through cause–effect statistical analysis underpinned by theoretical explanations through an empirical study.FindingsThrough an empirical study of benchmarking perceptions of people from 15 different countries, qualitative PSC were gathered and used to formulate an initial PSC model. Based on the proposed model, a validity test was conducted, and finally, the PSC model was developed, resulting in several interesting and self-explanatory outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe model was tested in only one (relatively cosmopolitan) city. For proper generalization, it should be tested in countries with differing healthcare service systems.Practical implicationsThe results of this study are interesting, important and have potential values to academics and medical professionals. The study provides strong evidence that a physician’s external approach to patients is the most significant issue for patients seeking medical services. This does not refer to basic medical services, but rather the treatment process, where the physician’s behavior and positive attitude has the strongest effect on the patient’s decision to choose one physician over others.Originality/valueFinal PSC model has identified some significant theoretical explanations for academics and professional justifications for practitioners.

scholarly journals A semantic-based decision support platform to assist products’ eco-labeling process

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (7) ◽  
pp. 1340-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Da Xu ◽  
Mohamed Hedi Karray ◽  
Bernard Archimède
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Laundry Detergent ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ontology Language ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Comprehensive Knowledge ◽  
Description Framework

Purpose With the rising concern of safety, health and environmental performance, eco-labeled product and service are becoming more and more popular. However, the long and complex process of eco-labeling sometimes demotivates manufacturers and service providers to be certificated. The purpose of this paper is to propose a decision support platform aiming at further improvement and acceleration of the eco-labeling process in order to democratize a broader application and certification of eco-labels, also to consolidate the credibility and validity of eco-labels. Design/methodology/approach This decision support platform is based on a comprehensive knowledge base composed of various domain ontologies that are constructed according to an official eco-label criteria documentation. Findings Through standard Resource Description Framework and Web Ontology Language ontology query interface, the assets of the decision support platform will stimulate domain knowledge sharing and can be applied into other applications. A case study of laundry detergent eco-labeling process is also presented in this paper. Originality/value The authors present a reasoning methodology based on inference with Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) rules which allows decision making with explanation.

Impact of hospital atmosphere on perceived health care outcome

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritu Narang ◽  
Pia Polsa ◽  
Alabi Soneye ◽  
Wei Fuxiang
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
Developed Nations

Purpose – Healthcare service quality studies primarily examine the relationships between patients ' perceived quality and satisfaction with healthcare services, clinical effectiveness, service use, recommendations and value for money. These studies suggest that patient-independent quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome) are antecedents to quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative by looking at the relationship between hospital atmosphere and healthcare quality with perceived outcome. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from Finland, India, Nigeria and the People ' s Republic of China. Regression analysis used perceived outcome as the dependent variable and atmosphere and healthcare service quality as independent variables. Findings – Results showed that atmosphere and healthcare service quality have a statistically significant relationship with patient perceived outcomes. Research limitations/implications – The sample size was small and the sampling units were selected on convenience; thus, caution must be exercised in generalizing the findings. Practical implications – The study determined that service quality and atmosphere are considered significant for developing and developed nations. This result could have significant implications for policy makers and service providers developing healthcare quality and hospital atmosphere. Originality/value – Studies concentrate on healthcare outcome primarily regarding population health status, mortality, morbidity, customer satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, customer behavior and consumption. However, the study exposes how patients perceive their health after treatment. Furthermore, the authors develop the healthcare service literature by considering atmosphere and perceived outcome.

scholarly journals From concierge to Superman: perceptions of the contemporary hotel concierge in Edinburgh

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-254
Author(s):  
Mhairi Sumner ◽  
Bernie Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
First Century ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Personal Recommendation ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Technological World

Purpose The purpose of this study is ascertain if the hotel concierge service will continue to be relevant in a technological world where consumers have increasing access to information about their destination. To trace the origins of the hotel concierge, their route into the profession and establish whether the profession is geographically localised. Their role within the hotel, working philosophy, core values and characteristics were considered in relation to creating and delivering an experiential service encounter. Design/methodology/approach Eleven participants were selected who worked on the concierge desk in four- and five-star hotels in Edinburgh. All were male, aged between 20 and 64 years old; nine were Scottish, six of whom were from Edinburgh, one from Wales and one from England. Six respondents were members of The Golden Keys Society. A qualitative approach was adopted with semi-structured interviews designed around key themes identified in the literature review. Findings No feelings of servility or inferiority were documented in the host/guest relationship. Comparisons were made between the contextual setting and the appearance and manner of the respondents with that of a “performance”. The uniform was deemed to facilitate feelings of empowerment analogous to having superpowers. Technology has been adopted by the concierge department as a tool, but is considered to be ancillary to their personal recommendation and network of business and personal contacts and collaborators. Research limitations/implications Changes in the demographics of people travelling and discounted rates being offered in four- and five-star hotels has resulted in general perceptions of a less elite clientele. This may have implications for the future of concierge services. Practical implications The internet seems to have opened up this profession to enable concierges to effectively operate in a location they are not indigenous to. The personal recommendations that the concierge provides through their own knowledge are used in conjunction with technology, but are not in imminent danger of being replaced by it. It may prove beneficial for the hotel to provide some training for older members of staff to keep up with technological developments. This study could prove useful to service providers who aim to gain competitive advantage by elevating their level of guest service to exceed guest expectations through emulating the personalised service that the concierge can offer. Social implications The socio-cultural issues within this study are important. Internet technology is generally perceived to be the panacea of all contemporary communication ills in the twenty-first century. The authors however propose that the concierge is the last bastion of front-line service personnel who are still approached for their individual, sometimes unique, knowledge that cannot be found online. Originality/value This study contributes to an area of interest that lacks contemporary research due to the natural gatekeeping that occurs within this “closed” environment.

Inexorable transformation in healthcare-seeking behaviour: a paradigm of choice

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-212
Author(s):  
K.R. Pillai ◽  
Soundarya Nallavalli ◽  
Christina Immaculate
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Seeking ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Undue Advantage

Purpose Healthcare is traditionally considered an indispensable service in both personal and social points of views. In this regard, healthcare-seeking behaviour is driven by utilitarian orientation, given its existential value. But this trend is changing, as the propensity to avail (un)necessary healthcare services is burgeoning with changing lifestyle and practices. From the supply point of view, the market appears to be relentless in enforcing propensity to seek healthcare. The service providers, generally, create unnecessary needs and aspirations, taking undue advantage of the prospects’ over-conscious health concerns and overzealous longing for wellness. This study aims to find whether utilitarianism or hedonism is the prominent paradigm of healthcare-seeking behaviour in the onset of changing preferences and lifestyles and supply-driven market forces. Design/methodology/approach The study followed an empirical approach to accomplish the aim of research. Subjects for the study constitute sample respondents in the age of 18-60 years, who were identified on inspection. A structured questionnaire, drawn upon literature, was used to elicit information. Findings The study offered new insight into the basic psychological motive for healthcare-seeking. The results have empirically validated the pre-eminence of a hedonic attribute of consumer behaviour in healthcare-seeking. Practical implications The outcome of the study has implications for healthcare providers to tailor-make their future products and services and for governing bodies to design suitable policy guidelines. Originality/value The study explores the emerging trends in health-seeking behaviour.

Information technology and Baumol's cost disease in healthcare services: a research agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 911-937
Author(s):  
Sunil Mithas ◽  
Charles F. Hofacker ◽  
Anil Bilgihan ◽  
Tarik Dogru ◽  
Vanja Bogicevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cost Disease

PurposeThis paper advances a research agenda for service researchers at the intersection of healthcare and information technologies to improve access to quality healthcare at affordable prices. The article reviews key trends to provide an agenda for research focusing on strategies, governance and management of key service processes.Design/methodology/approachThis paper synthesizes literature in information systems, service management, marketing and healthcare operations to suggest a research agenda. The authors draw on frameworks such as the interpretive model of technology, technology acceptance model, assemblage theories and Baumol's cost disease to develop their arguments.FindingsThe paper situates strategy-related service management questions that service providers and consumers face in the context of emerging healthcare and technology trends. It also derives implications for governance choices and questions related to that.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper discusses service management challenges and concludes with an agenda for future research that touches on governance and service management issues.Practical implicationsThis paper provides implications for healthcare service providers and policymakers to understand new trends in healthcare delivery, technologies and facilities management to meet evolving customer needs.Social implicationsThis paper provides implications for managing healthcare services that touch on many social and societal concerns.Originality/valueThis conceptual paper provides background and review of the work at the intersections of information systems, marketing and healthcare operations to draw implications for future research.

Healthcare under the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in a decentralised health system

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-167
Author(s):  
Virendra Kumar ◽  
Anindya Jayanta Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Centres ◽  
Panchayati Raj

Purpose This paper aims to explore the challenges and benefits arising from the involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the provisioning of primary healthcare in a decentralised health system of India. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study design was used in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 89 respondents selected from nine primary health centres across the district. A thematic analytical framework approach was used to analyse the data. Findings The research results indicate that there are several challenges resulting from PRIs involvement, including prioritisation of service providers and users, coercive unethical work and lack of communication. However, there are some benefits associated with the involvement of the PRIs in service provisioning, including improved availability and regularity of healthcare providers at the health centres. Research limitations/implications The implications of the findings suggest that the PRIs play an important role in healthcare provisioning; however, their involvement is ineffective due to their partial capabilities and approach, which creates a non-conducive environment. Practical implications Health issues are among the most important human concerns, and recognising and addressing the grassroot challenges help to locate, and overcome the challenges that hinder the smooth healthcare provisioning process. Originality/value National Rural Health Mission has recognised the PRIs as a platform to promote decentralised health planning and for achieving its goals in India. The PRIs are significantly involved in planning, monitoring and provisioning of primary healthcare services at grassroot level. This paper addresses the challenges and benefits that emerged due to their involvement.

Medical tourism: tourists’ perceived services and satisfaction lessons from Malaysian hospitals

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Khalilur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Return

Purpose The medical tourism industry has become one of the most profitable industries around the world wherein most of the countries exploit every effort to attract medical tourists to take advantage of its medical care benefits. The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of medical tourists’ perceived services and their satisfaction for medical care in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach The quantitative method was conducted to examine the three groups of foreign travellers such as medical tourists, expats and normative medial tourists’ perceived medical services quality and satisfaction. Data from a survey of 266 respondents were analyzed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings The findings of this study provide evidence that hospital accessibility and interpersonal behaviour are the most critical constructs that influence medical tourists’ attributes. Additionally, medical costs and health-care technicality have a significant relationship with the perceived services of medical tourists. The study also demonstrated that medical tourists’ satisfaction highly attributed to their perceived services towards the quality of medical care they received and experienced in the hospitals. Practical implications The results have important implications for managerial considerations at hospitals. Hospital accessibility is a crucial dimension to be measured at hospitals when measuring service quality. Service providers need to be mindful that all aspects of medical services are essential and need to be delivered satisfactorily to ensure customer satisfaction. Patients’ perceived services and their satisfaction is a crucial bridge in determining the likelihood of future return among patients to the hospitals. Originality/value This study has managed to convincingly secure findings to provide useful information and understanding of the hospital accessibility and interpersonal manner of health-care professionals at hospitals in Malaysia. Particularly, when any hospital offers quality services, they must consider the reasonable medical expenses that can be affordable by the average people and update their medical equipment that are necessary for technical and diagnostic purposes. By ensuring these, they can attract the medical tourists.

Coproduction and cocreation in public care services: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-578
Author(s):  
Teresa Sofia Amorim Lopes ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Public Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trust Development

PurposeTo analyze and discuss the research on the public healthcare services (PHCS) through the lenses of coproduction/creation by systematizing the antecedents, the process enablers and the outcomes of coproduction/creation in terms of organizational and individual/patients factors.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review was performed based on 46 papers found in ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases following the Prisma Protocol for the search.FindingsThe results show that antecedents of coproduction/creation are connected to organizational/institutional capabilities (e.g. codesign of services or trust development) or patient/individual factors (e.g. physical and mental capabilities). The process of coproduction/creation relates with enablers, such as interactive and dynamic relationships between public care service providers and users. Finally, outcomes have diverse nature, namely quality of life, compliance, behavioral intentions, among others.Research limitations/implicationsThis study addresses the overlooked topic of coproduction/creation of value within PHCS. It contributes to public healthcare services literature wherein concepts of coproduction and cocreation of value are still on debate. It contributes to the transformative service research (TSR) by underlining that healthcare factors, processes and approaches may have a positive or negative (value codestructing) influence on the well-being. It yields crucial implications for PHCS.Originality/valueIt is the first attempt to systematize scientific knowledge on this topic, therefore conferring some novelty potential.

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