Self- and Other-Dehumanization Processes in Health-Related Contexts: A Critical Review of the Literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Diniz ◽  
Sónia F. Bernardes ◽  
Paula Castro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Person Perception ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Health Related

Dehumanization is an everyday, pervasive phenomenon in health contexts. Given its detrimental consequences to health care, much research has been dedicated to understanding and promoting the humanization of health services. However, health care service research has neglected the sociopsychological processes involved in the dehumanization of self and others, in formal but also informal health-related contexts. Drawing upon sociopsychological models of dehumanization, this article will bridge this gap by presenting a critical review of studies on everyday meaning-making and person perception processes of dehumanization in health-related contexts. A database search was conducted in PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, using a combination of keywords on dehumanization and health/illness/body; 3,229 references were screened; 95 full texts were assessed for eligibility; 59 studies were included. Most studies focused on informal contexts, reflecting a decontextualized and one-sided view of dehumanization (i.e., not integrating actors’ and victims’ perspectives). Despite the dominant focus on self-dehumanization, emerging perspectives uncover the role of processes that deny human uniqueness to others, and their individual determinants and consequences for mental health. A few studies bring to light the functions of a variety of dehumanizing body metaphors on self- and other-dehumanization. These trends in the literature leave several gaps, which are here critically analyzed to inform future research.

scholarly journals An evaluation of factors affecting the management of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed S.M Sadrul Huda ◽  
Afsana Akhtar ◽  
Segufta Dilshad ◽  
Syeeda Raisa Maliha
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Health Care Management ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

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.

Evaluation of a Care Coordination/Home-Telehealth Program for Veterans with Diabetes

2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 464-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neale R. Chumbler ◽  
Britta Neugaard ◽  
Rita Kobb ◽  
Patricia Ryan ◽  
Haijing Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Care Coordination ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Bodily Pain ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Regression To The Mean

We evaluated a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care coordination/ hometelehealth (CC/HT) programon the utilization of health care services and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in veterans with diabetes. Administrative records of 445 veterans with diabetes were reviewed to compare health care service utilization in the 1-year period before and 1-year period postenrollment and also examined self-reported HRQL at enrollment and 1 year later. Multivariate analyses indicated a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients who were hospitalized (50% reduction), emergency room use (11% reduction), reduction in the average number of bed days of care (decreased an average of 3.0 days), and improvement in the HRQL role-physical functioning, bodily pain, and social functioning. The results need to be interpreted with caution because we used a single-group study design that may be influenced by regression to the mean. Ideally, future research should use a randomized controlled trial design.

The relationship between perceived dissimilarity and feedback avoidance behaviour

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Song ◽  
Kubilay Gok ◽  
Sherry Moss ◽  
Nancy Borkowski
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Avoidance Behaviour ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Interpersonal Processes ◽  
Conflict Task ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the conditions in which subordinates, after making a mistake, are more likely to engage in feedback avoidance behaviour (FAB), a set of behaviours that could ultimately jeopardise patient safety in a health care context. Design/methodology/approach This study used a sample of 183 independent leader-subordinate dyads in the health care service sector. For this study, a multiple mediator model in which three types of conflict (task conflict, relationship conflict and process conflict) were tested and acted as mediating mechanisms that transmitted the effects of perceived dissimilarity to FAB. Findings The results supported the mediating role of two of the three forms of conflict and highlighted the consequences of dissimilarity between supervisors and subordinates in the healthcare setting. Research limitations/implications One of the noteworthy limitations of this study was that this study used cross-sectional time-lagged data. Future research should use a more rigorous longitudinal approach such as a cross-lagged design (Whitman et al., 2012) to explore the dynamic nature of dyadic relationships over time. Practical implications An important implication of our study results suggests that health care leadership development training should provide opportunities to increase awareness of the tendency of leaders to treat subordinates perceived as dissimilar more negatively. Originality/value These results contribute to our understanding of the interpersonal processes between subordinates and their supervisors, which could have a significant impact on organisational outcomes in the health care setting.

scholarly journals Conversational Agents in Health Care: Scoping Review and Conceptual Analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorainne Tudor Car ◽  
Dhakshenya Ardhithy Dhinagaran ◽  
Bhone Myint Kyaw ◽  
Tobias Kowatsch ◽  
Shafiq Joty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Service Support

BACKGROUND Conversational agents, also known as chatbots, are computer programs designed to simulate human text or verbal conversations. They are increasingly used in a range of fields, including health care. By enabling better accessibility, personalization, and efficiency, conversational agents have the potential to improve patient care. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to review the current applications, gaps, and challenges in the literature on conversational agents in health care and provide recommendations for their future research, design, and application. METHODS We performed a scoping review. A broad literature search was performed in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online; Ovid), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica database; Ovid), PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central with the search terms “conversational agents,” “conversational AI,” “chatbots,” and associated synonyms. We also searched the gray literature using sources such as the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) WorldCat database and ResearchGate in April 2019. Reference lists of relevant articles were checked for further articles. Screening and data extraction were performed in parallel by 2 reviewers. The included evidence was analyzed narratively by employing the principles of thematic analysis. RESULTS The literature search yielded 47 study reports (45 articles and 2 ongoing clinical trials) that matched the inclusion criteria. The identified conversational agents were largely delivered via smartphone apps (n=23) and used free text only as the main input (n=19) and output (n=30) modality. Case studies describing chatbot development (n=18) were the most prevalent, and only 11 randomized controlled trials were identified. The 3 most commonly reported conversational agent applications in the literature were treatment and monitoring, health care service support, and patient education. CONCLUSIONS The literature on conversational agents in health care is largely descriptive and aimed at treatment and monitoring and health service support. It mostly reports on text-based, artificial intelligence–driven, and smartphone app–delivered conversational agents. There is an urgent need for a robust evaluation of diverse health care conversational agents’ formats, focusing on their acceptability, safety, and effectiveness.

Perception of Mobile Technology Provision in Health Service

2009 ◽  
pp. 1408-1428
Author(s):  
Astrid M. Oddershede ◽  
Rolando A. Carrasco
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Research Decision

In this chapter the user interface perception and resources for mobile technology (MT) support in health care service activities is investigated. Most procedures oriented to provide better operation and quality of health service depend on the existing information and communication technology (ICT) system. However, the implementation of new technology competes with funding available for health institutions resources, hence introducing them is complex. The technical difficulties encountered in using ICT are: an inadequate physical infrastructure, quality of service (QoS) issues, and insufficient access by the user to the hardware/software communication infrastructure. A case study by multi-criteria approach was investigated involving three categories of hospitals in Chile and empirical data was collected comprising diverse health sector representatives. The main contribution is the proposed research decision-making model using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate and compare information and communications systems as fixed, wireless, or computer-assisted provisions for health-related activities and to identify the high priority dimensions in a health care service.

scholarly journals Conversational Agents in Health Care: Scoping Review and Conceptual Analysis

10.2196/17158 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e17158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorainne Tudor Car ◽  
Dhakshenya Ardhithy Dhinagaran ◽  
Bhone Myint Kyaw ◽  
Tobias Kowatsch ◽  
Shafiq Joty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Service Support

Background Conversational agents, also known as chatbots, are computer programs designed to simulate human text or verbal conversations. They are increasingly used in a range of fields, including health care. By enabling better accessibility, personalization, and efficiency, conversational agents have the potential to improve patient care. Objective This study aimed to review the current applications, gaps, and challenges in the literature on conversational agents in health care and provide recommendations for their future research, design, and application. Methods We performed a scoping review. A broad literature search was performed in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online; Ovid), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica database; Ovid), PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central with the search terms “conversational agents,” “conversational AI,” “chatbots,” and associated synonyms. We also searched the gray literature using sources such as the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) WorldCat database and ResearchGate in April 2019. Reference lists of relevant articles were checked for further articles. Screening and data extraction were performed in parallel by 2 reviewers. The included evidence was analyzed narratively by employing the principles of thematic analysis. Results The literature search yielded 47 study reports (45 articles and 2 ongoing clinical trials) that matched the inclusion criteria. The identified conversational agents were largely delivered via smartphone apps (n=23) and used free text only as the main input (n=19) and output (n=30) modality. Case studies describing chatbot development (n=18) were the most prevalent, and only 11 randomized controlled trials were identified. The 3 most commonly reported conversational agent applications in the literature were treatment and monitoring, health care service support, and patient education. Conclusions The literature on conversational agents in health care is largely descriptive and aimed at treatment and monitoring and health service support. It mostly reports on text-based, artificial intelligence–driven, and smartphone app–delivered conversational agents. There is an urgent need for a robust evaluation of diverse health care conversational agents’ formats, focusing on their acceptability, safety, and effectiveness.

The missing link to patient engagement in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1183-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Carmela Annarumma ◽  
Paola Adinolfi ◽  
Marco Musella
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Patient Engagement ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Health Literacy ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Limited Health ◽  
Inadequate Health Literacy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changing patterns of users’ behavior in the health care service system. Although patient engagement and health services’ co-production are understood as essential ingredients in the recipe for sustainable health systems, some determinants to patient involvement are still widely neglected by both policy makers and health care professionals. Among others, inadequate health literacy performs as a significant barrier to patient empowerment. Design/methodology/approach A survey aimed at objectively measuring health literacy-related skills was administered to a random sample of 600 Italian patients. The Italian version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) was used to assess the ability of the respondents to deal with written health information. Moreover, the respondents were asked to self-report their ability to navigate the health system. It was presumed that inadequate health literacy as measured by the NVS is related with impaired self-reported functional, interactive, and critical health-related competencies, paving the way for the inability and the unwillingness of patients to be involved in the health care provision. Findings About half of the sample showed inadequate health literacy. However, poor NVS scores were only slightly associated with limited self-reported functional, interactive, and critical health-related competencies. In general, patients with inadequate health-related skills were not likely to be engaged in the provision of health services. Elderly, people suffering from financial deprivation and less educated individuals were found to be at special risk of living with limited health literacy. Practical implications Limited health literacy is a common and relevant issue among people dealing with the health care service system. The impaired ability to collect, process, and use health information produces barriers to patient engagement and prevents the evolution of patients’ behavior toward health care co-production. Originality/value Health literacy is a widely overlooked issue in the Italian national health system. This paper contributes in shedding light on the determinants and effects of health literacy of Italian hospital patients. Besides, some insights on the validity of the methodological tools typically used to assess health-related skills are provided.

scholarly journals Service Innovations in Health Care Service Ecosystem: A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vincenza Ciasullo ◽  
Silvia Cosimato
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Service Ecosystems ◽  
Service Ecosystem

In service economy, scholars and practitioners focus on the development and the appliance of innovative services. The importance of service innovation is rising in many sectors and among different organizations. Several disciplines (e.g. marketing, management, operations research, etc.) focus on this innovation, a concept widely used, but with different definitions. In this paper, service innovation has been analyzed according to SD Logic and a service ecosystem perspective. Literature still call for a deeper understanding of how new or renewed resources’ combination affect the shaping of service ecosystems. To contribute to fill this gap, the study explores the practices that different actors, internal and external to a healthcare service ecosystem, enact to co-create value in novel ways that is service innovation. The paper is structured as follows. In the next section, the main academic contributions on service research have been reviewed, focusing on healthcare service innovation. Follows, the research method and the discussion of research findings. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications have been detailed and an agenda for future research suggested. The paper offers interesting insights to develop new or renewed practices that foster the reshaping and maintaining of a healthcare service ecosystem. Some recommendations are included to support managers in the development of service innovation strategies.

scholarly journals A 360-Degree Examination of the Placement Fit of Medical Clowns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorit Efrat-Treister ◽  
Daniel Altman ◽  
Enav Friedmann ◽  
Dalit Lev-Arai Margalit ◽  
Kinneret Teodorescu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Optimal Placement ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Consumers

Abstract Background – Most existing research on medical clowns in health care service has investigated their usefulness among child health consumers. In a 360-degree research stream, we aim to identify the optimal audience (adults or children health consumers), for which medical clowns are most useful in enhancing health consumers’ satisfaction and, in turn, reducing their aggressive tendencies.Methods – We conducted three studies, which examined the placement fit of medical clowns from a different point of view: medical staff (Study 1a, n = 88), medical clowns (Study 1b, n = 20), and health consumers (Study 2, n = 397).Results – Studies 1a and 1b demonstrate that both medical staff and clowns believe that child health consumers profit most from the clowns. In Study 2, data from health consumers in seven different hospital wards showed that clowns are useful in mitigating the effect of negative affectivity on satisfaction, thereby reducing aggressive tendencies among children. Surprisingly, the effect of medical clowns on adults is not only weaker, but reversed, such that interactions with medical clowns decrease adults’ satisfaction and increase their aggressive tendencies.Discussion - The medical clowns are most useful in elevating satisfaction and reducing aggressive tendencies of children. However, older adults show lower satisfaction and higher aggressive tendencies following the performance of the medical clown. The main limitation of the study is investigating aggressive tendencies rather than actual aggression. Future research should examine actual aggression.Conclusion – Medical clowns should be placed in children’s wards. This conclusion can guide health care service policy makers by indicating the optimal placement of clowns, thereby benefitting most from the clowns’ efforts, elevating health consumer satisfaction, and reducing aggressive tendencies.Trial registration – article doesn’t report a health care intervention on human participants.

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
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Patient Empowerment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Resource Integration ◽  
Content Type

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.

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