scholarly journals Health service literacy: complementary actor roles for transformative value co-creation

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 687-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Davey ◽  
Christian Grönroos

Purpose Although health-care features prominently in transformative service research, there is little to guide service providers on how to improve well-being and social change transformations. This paper aims to explore actor-level interactions in transformative services, proposing that actors’ complementary health service literacy roles are fundamental to resource integration and joint value creation. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews with 46 primary health-care patients and 11 health-care service providers (HSPs) were conducted focusing on their subjective experiences of health literacy. An iterative hermeneutic approach was used to analyse the textual data linking it with existing theory. Findings Data analysis identified patients’ and HSPs’ health service literacy roles and corresponding role readiness dimensions. Four propositions are developed describing how these roles influence resource integration processes. Complementary service literacy roles enhance resource integration with outcomes of respect, trust, empowerment and loyalty. Competing service literacy roles lead to outcomes of discredit, frustration, resistance and exit through unsuccessful resource integration. Originality/value Health service literacy roles – linked to actor agency, institutional norms and service processes – provide a nuanced approach to understanding the tensions between patient empowerment trends and service professionals’ desire for recognition of their expertise over patient care. Specifically, the authors extend Frow et al.’s (2016) list of co-creation practices with practices that complement actors’ service literacy and role readiness. Based on a service perspective, the authors encourage transformative service researchers, service professionals and health service system designers, to recognize complementary health service literacy roles as an opportunity to support patients’ resources and facilitate value co-creation.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed S.M Sadrul Huda ◽  
Afsana Akhtar ◽  
Segufta Dilshad ◽  
Syeeda Raisa Maliha

PurposeThe study aims to gain insights into the management of COVID-19 in Bangladesh to identify the factors that are relevant to managing the pandemic in a developing country.Design/methodology/approachThe study was carried out by pursuing the archival method. The information was collected from credible newspaper reports over the previous months, as well as articles published on the subject of COVID-19.FindingsThe research revealed important and relevant dimensions of the health sector in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The major factors were doctors, nurses (health service providers), patients, (customers) and society. This is a pioneering paper, which documents the major lessons learned from the management of COVID-19 in Bangladesh concerning three stakeholders of the health-care system, i.e. providers, patients and society. This paper covers the situation regarding the ongoing pandemic from three perspectives – provider, customers and society, and thus, may help to develop future research regarding the development of health-care management models for addressing the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitations of this paper is its over dependence on secondary sources for collecting the information.Practical implicationsThis paper presents the learnings from the pandemic in health-care management in different categories (e.g. social, doctor/nurse, patients), which can help the managers in understanding different dimensions of the health-care sector from different perspectives. The problems as well as the learnings stated in the paper can help the policy makers implement such strategies to ensure better delivery of the medical health-care service during a pandemic.Social implicationsThis paper clearly reveals the social dimensions of the COVID-19 by assessing the social aspects of COVID-19 management. Both social stigma and support are traced out during evaluating the situation. Thus, the social forces will be able to rethink about their role in addressing the social costs of pandemic.Originality/valueThis is a commentary piece.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasia Daskalopoulou ◽  
Kathy Keeling ◽  
Rowan Pritchard Jones

PurposeService research holds that as services become more technology dominated, new service provider roles emerge. On a conceptual level, the potential impact of different roles has been discussed with regard to service provider readiness, job performance and overall experience. However, as yet, there is sparse empirical support for these conceptual interpretations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the new service provider roles that emerge due to the increase of technology mediation in services.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows a qualitative methodology. Insights are drawn from in-depth interviews with 32 junior and senior health-care service providers (across 12 specialties) and 5 information governance/management staff.FindingsThis analysis illustrates that new service provider roles include those of the enabler, differentiator, innovator, coordinator and sense-giver. By adopting these roles, health-care service providers reveal that they can encourage, support and advance technology mediation in services across different groups/audiences within their organizations (e.g. service delivery level, peer-to-peer level, organizational level). This paper further shows the relationships between these new service provider roles.Originality/valueThis study contributes to theory in technology-mediated services by illustrating empirically the range of activities that constitute each role. It also complements prior work by identifying that service providers adopt the additional role of sense-giver. Finally, this paper provides an understanding of how by taking on these roles service providers can encourage, support and advance technology mediation in services across different groups/audiences in their organization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 909-920
Author(s):  
Athanasia Daskalopoulou ◽  
Josephine Go Jefferies ◽  
Alexandros Skandalis

Purpose Service research has previously documented service providers’ role in addressing the barriers of technology mediation, mostly at the service delivery level. The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding about the role of service providers who hold strategic and operational roles, as well as investigate the impact of coordinated, organization-wide initiatives in dealing with the demands and associated emotional ambivalence of technology-mediated services. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study draws from a series of in-depth interviews with health-care service providers who hold strategic and operational roles in health-care organizations along with participant observation to develop an understanding of the broader organizational context of telehealth services. Findings This paper outlines the strategic sense-giving process and highlights how health-care service providers who hold strategic and operational roles enact the sense-giver role. This study illustrates that strategic sense-giving involves the recognition of sense-making gaps; identification of sense-giving opportunities; and provision of templates of action. Originality/value This study illustrates that sense-giving can be performed by a number of organizational members in a more formalized way which extends informal sense-giving efforts at the peer-to-peer level. The importance of strategic sense-giving in providing templates of action for service providers and consumers is highlighted. This study also shows how strategic sense-giving safeguards against confusion and errors by communicating appropriate ways of using technology. Finally, the role of strategic sense-giving in helping service providers and consumers cope with the emotional ambivalence of technology-mediated service interactions are demonstarted.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Partouche-Sebban ◽  
Saeedeh Rezaee Vessal ◽  
Fabian Bernhard

Purpose This study aims to explore the effect of value co-creation among health-care professionals and in a business-to-business (B2B) context on the involved individuals and the organization. More precisely, the effect of co-creation behaviors on the well-being of individuals, their work performance and team resilience are investigated. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was adopted. The data collection was performed through a mail survey of a sample of 96 professionals at a cancer health-care institution in France in which several medical and paramedical providers work together to maximize service options. Linear regressions were conducted using SPSS to analyze the data. Findings The results highlight the positive outcomes of an active co-creation process on individual well-being, work performance and team resilience and emphasize its limits. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in studying co-creation in the context of the health-care service sector, among health-care professionals and from a B2B perspective. Adopting an inter-organizational frame, this study clarifies the positive and negative effects of co-creation from both personal and organizational aspects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raechel Johns ◽  
Janet Davey

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the role of mediators in supporting value co-creation for vulnerable consumers in a service context. The authors propose that in transformative services, the roles of actor mediators facilitate control and empowerment for the vulnerable consumer – labelling these transformative service mediators (TSMs). Design/methodology/approach The authors develop a theoretical framework for the activities of mediators in value co-creation considering the interrelationships of vulnerability, structure and agency. The authors then use Prahalad and Ramaswamy’s DART (Dialogue, Access, Risk Assessment and Transparency) model as the integrating framework to describe the TSM roles in the context of the foster care service ecosystem. Findings The authors introduce a future research agenda regarding TSM roles in transformational service experiences and value co-creation with vulnerable consumers. Service researchers and providers are encouraged to explore effective training and motivation of TSMs. Research limitations/implications Understanding value co-creation for vulnerable consumers is an emerging area in service research. The TSM concept introduces a new approach to explore how value co-creation and transformative outcomes can be enhanced in service contexts where consumers experience vulnerability. Practical implications This paper presents an agenda for future research. The outcomes of future research based on TSM roles may help guide service providers in identifying opportunities for enhancing well-being and reducing vulnerability in service delivery. Originality/value This paper suggests that exploring the role of TSMs in the service process offers new insights into reducing vulnerability in service relationships.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Silvia Cosimato ◽  
Aurelio Tommasetti

Purpose Service ecosystems are gaining credence among management scholars. However, there is still little agreement about the distinguishing attributes of service ecosystems in both the public and the private sectors. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the health care service system, suggesting a “recipe” for the implementation of a sustainable and innovative health care service ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methodology was used. First, a critical literature review was conducted to lay the conceptual foundations of this study. Then a theory about the institutional, organizational and managerial requisites for the implementation of a health care service ecosystem was developed. Findings The health care sector is appropriate for the core tenets of the service ecosystem perspective. Tailored interventions aimed at improving the functioning of the health care service ecosystem should be implemented at the micro, meso, macro and mega levels. Patient empowerment, patient-centered care and integrated care are the fundamental ingredients of the recipe for effective health care service ecosystems. Practical implications The ecosystem approach provides health policy makers with interesting insights to help shape the health care service system of the future. The paper also contributes to the innovation of managerial practices emphasizing the role of patient involvement in the design and delivery of health care. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts to systematize scientific knowledge about service ecosystems in the health care sector. An agenda for further research is suggested, in order to further advance the establishment of an effective and innovative health care service ecosystem.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246784
Author(s):  
Khagendra Kafle ◽  
Dhan Bahadur Shrestha ◽  
Abinash Baniya ◽  
Sandesh Lamichhane ◽  
Manoj Shahi ◽  
...  

Background COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a wide variety of psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorders, especially among health service providers. Due to a greater risk of exposure to the virus, increased working hours, and fear of infecting their families, health service providers are more vulnerable to emotional distress than the general population during this pandemic. This online survey attempts to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 and its associated variables among healthcare workers in Nepal. Materials and methods For data collection purposes, Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) Questionnaire, was used whose content validity was verified by Shanghai mental health center. Data for the survey were collected from 11 to 24 October 2020 which was extracted to Microsoft Excel-13 and analyzed. Results A total of 254 health care workers from different provinces of the country participated in this study with a mean age of 26.01(± 4.46) years. A majority 46.9% (n = 119) of the participants were not distressed (score ≤28) while 46.5% (n = 118) were mild to moderately distressed (score >28 to ≤51) and 6.7% (n = 17) were severely distressed (score ≥52) due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Female participants (p = 0.004) and participants who were doctors by profession (p = 0.001) experienced significantly more distress. Conclusions COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the psychological distress amongst health care service providers. The findings from the present study may highlight the need for constructing and implementing appropriate plans and policies by relevant stakeholders that will help to mitigate the distress among health service providers in the current pandemic so that we can have an efficient frontline health workforce to tackle this worse situation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-578
Author(s):  
Teresa Sofia Amorim Lopes ◽  
Helena Alves

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet R. McColl-Kennedy ◽  
Hannah Snyder ◽  
Mattias Elg ◽  
Lars Witell ◽  
Anu Helkkula ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from health care research with those in service research to identify key conceptualizations of the changing role of the health care customer, to identify gaps in theory, and to propose a compelling research agenda. Design/methodology/approach This study combines a meta-narrative review of health care research, and a systematic review of service research, using thematic analysis to identify key practice approaches and the changing role of the health care customer. Findings The review reveals different conceptualizations of the customer role within the ten key practice approaches, and identifies an increased activation of the role of the health care customer over time. This change implies a re-orientation, that is, moving away from the health care professional setting the agenda, prescribing and delivering treatment where the customer merely complies with orders, to the customer actively contributing and co-creating value with service providers and other actors in the ecosystem to the extent the health care customer desires. Originality/value This study not only identifies key practice approaches by synthesizing findings from health care research with those in service research, it also identifies how the role of the health care customer is changing and highlights effects of the changing role across the practice approaches. A research agenda to guide future health care service research is also provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myesere Avdyl Hoxha

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a modified service quality (SERVQUAL) model scale for measuring healthcare service quality in Kosovo. Design/methodology/approach An initial dimensions area methodology in construct development, followed by combined exploratory-analytical deductive research with the goal to test theory concepts and validate the measurement tool known from the theory of service quality using new empirical data in a specific context. A cross-sectional survey on a sample of 200 post-encountered patients and using structural equation modelling (SEM) and SEM path analysis to determine satisfaction. Findings The findings confirmed that a six-dimensional scale of SERVQUAL is not appropriate for the Kosovo health-care context. The scale development analysis with a new reduced four-dimensional model can be used to measure health service quality in the Kosovan context. Research limitations/implications The initial study concept was not piloted. It was developed by the researcher based on secondary data. Systematic random sampling was used, which may have resulted in conclusions that are not applicable to the general population. Finally, this study is applicable to the Kosovo context and cannot be generalized nor represent all patients treated in Kosovo hospitals and clinics. However, the above limitations are less significant compared to the importance of carrying out this type of study for the first time in Kosovo. Practical implications This study can help Kosovo health authorities to guide health system-wide improvements and health-care providers to remove quality shortfalls based on a culturally sensitive and validated multiple-item scale for the quality of their service. Originality/value This is the first research conducted to identify which of the service quality dimensions require attention by the health-care service providers in Kosovo and develop a validated tool for patient satisfaction measurement that can be used for commercial application.


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