BACKGROUND
In the field of healthcare services, intelligent technology is deeply merged in the healthcare services and many general hospitals tried to build smart hospitals for providing smart healthcare services to the patients. However, geriatric long-term care private hospitals (GHs), where providing the elderly patient-suited care services implemented by multiple service providers, should be considered differently than a general hospital. The purpose of this study is to identifying Smart Healthscape Quality (SHQ), to provide the evaluation criteria that can be applied to the context of private sector GHs in South Korea, and to select the priorities for service improvement. In order to specify healthcare services for geriatric patients, this study was based on two rationales: (1) Geriatric long-term care private hospitals (GHs) should be considered differently than a general hospital. (2) patients are perceived service from environments not only includes physical elements but also includes intangible elements such as intelligent system technologies.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to identifying Smart Healthscape Quality (SHQ), to provide the evaluation criteria that can be applied to the context of private sector GHs in South Korea, and to select the priorities for service improvement.
METHODS
Previous studies and reviews of existing, well-regarded healthcare-related guidelines that focus predominantly on general hospitals were first reviewed and relevant points were extracted. Next, a group of academics was enlisted to review the proposed criteria and sub-criteria. Then, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed in which healthcare professionals evaluated the importance (weighting) of each criterion and sub-criterion.
RESULTS
The author identifies and describes 7 criteria (safety, accessibility and layout, ambiance, appealing decorations and facilities, sociality, service, and intelligent system) and 43 sub-criteria. Also, the author provides importance of each criterion and sub-criterion.
CONCLUSIONS
The result of this study provides not only the foundation of the service framework for GHs in South Korea from a healthscape perspective, but also suggests a basis for smart healthscape concerns in private hospital service environments. The main contributions of this study include. 1) a comprehensive framework of SHQ for GHs in South Korea, 2) SHQ that extended the existing healthscape concept, and 3) the strongest-weighted SHQ offer practical support for decision-makers to identify common requirements and areas of improvement when planning GHs services.