Modelling Patients' Contribution to Healthcare

This chapter proposes an application of simulation modelling to frame the relationships between healthcare, patient organization management, and patient co-created healthcare. For the purpose, it presents a case study within the Italian context, for which it adopts a methodological approach combining performance management and system dynamics. After background information, the chapter introduces the methodology and explains the modelling steps, undertaken assuming the privileged perspective of a patient organization. The model building goes by progressive approximations. A tailored dynamic performance management framework identifies key variables and links within the system. Then a stock-and-flow structure deepens the analysis by depicting processes of accumulation of material, money, and information; a comprehensive loop analysis describes the system's dynamics in terms of interacting feedback structures. Finally, quantitative simulations concerning the mutual development of patient organizations and healthcare allow graphing behavior patterns according to alternative scenarios.

The Patient Added-Value to Healthcare Delivery

Patients are not considered passive recipients of the healthcare offer anymore. They can play an active role in the process of health service provision. This chapter has the scope to address the possible facets of such contribution, identifying the main areas of activity. The chapter starts with background information about service co-creation, a social and scientific paradigm born within service industry and marketing theory, recently adapted to the healthcare sector. Then the analysis continues with the description of two key spheres of patients' activities and contributions to healthcare delivery: education and research and development. It ends with conclusions and future research directions.

The Potential of System Dynamics to Model Patient-Aided Healthcare

This chapter explores the potential of system dynamics (or SD), a computer-aided methodology for policy analysis and design, to investigate patient organizations' contribution to healthcare. The chapter starts by describing the complexity features of the healthcare sector. Then it illustrates SD building blocks. A literature review of previous system dynamics applications to healthcare care issues categorizes selected papers according to relevant criteria. It emerges that few models incorporate patients' characteristics and perspective, none of them specifically dealing with patients' organizations and patient co-created health. In conclusion, the chapter highlights how SD can be considered a suitable methodology to depict the outcome of patients and their organizations' participation to healthcare processes, filling a gap in literature about both qualitative and quantitative system dynamics.

Patient Advocacy and the Policy Making Process

Recent developments in the policy-making literature and practice have highlighted the growing role of patient advocacy, that is, the participation of patients in policy making through the presence of their representatives at institutional working tables. This chapter has a twofold aim: (1) to frame the activity of patient organizations' advocacy into the public management and administration theory and (2) to describe how patients' organizations can participate to the public policy making from an operational point of view. The chapter starts by providing background information about patient advocacy. Then it introduces the core literature streams of public management and administration. Finally, a feedback analysis shows possible policy cycles linking patient-aided steps of interactive policy making.

Knowledge and Skills to Lead Effective Patient Organizations

The potential role of patients' organizations in healthcare, in order to be effective, needs to be sustained by appropriate knowledge and skills. The chapter has the scope to review the key requirements for the management of such organizations. After a background introduction about added value of patient capacity building, it proposes the ‘antenna skill framework', a visual and practical illustration summarizing the necessary knowledge and skills for patient organizations' management. A generic patient organization is represented as an antenna progressively picking up many kinds of knowledge and skills: about the institutional framework, disease-related, technical, and managerial. Particular attention is devoted to management and administration, proposing a business model canvas tailored to patient organizations. In conclusion, the insightful tools proposed in the chapter can foster policymakers, universities, and other educational operators to conceive suitable training programs to form capable patient managers.

The Patient-Centered Model and the Diffusion of Patients' Organizations

Healthcare management recognizes the importance of a patient-centered model whereas decision-making takes place pursuing social value, and empowered patients collaborate with healthcare operators in order to receive the best possible care. In this regard, patients' organizations are social groups taking care of patients' interests along several dimensions. This chapter introduces the phenomenon of patients' organizations and briefly describes the possible roles they can play within healthcare, both at macro and micro levels. The chapter organization is as follows: the background section introduces the importance of patient empowerment and describe the patient-centered healthcare model in general terms and as far as hospital organizational implications are concerned. It is followed by the definition of patients' organizations and a brief description of their diffusion. The chapter continues with a section about the social roles of patients' organizations, also considering the challenges posed by the digital transformation. It ends with conclusions and future research directions.