Colour Theory in Healthcare Corporate Identity

This study aims to analyse the colours associated with Portuguese healthcare units and medical centres—namely the colour of their logo, through environmental colour mapping—and understand if the colour management choices match the desired perception of a healthcare unit and identify new colour combinations that can serve as a differentiation factor and simultaneously get the desired interpretation of the brand. The logos of 24 healthcare centres were randomly selected. The images were collected through the SNS web page dedicated to each facility and were later processed in Adobe Photoshop CC. The colours of each logo were catalogued and sorted according to their hue. It was observed that the majority of the colours used corresponded to blues and greens, which was to be expected considering their symbolism: stability, calm, relaxation, and serenity. Lastly, four new colour schemes were created, which, in addition to being differentiated from the previously identified schemes, are evocative of desirable characteristics for a brand associated with a healthcare unit.

The Implementation of Lean in Emergency Hospital Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Healthcare services, in particular, are one of the areas in which Lean can be applied and benefits can be reached through it. In order to analyze the suitability of Lean implementation in healthcare units, this research focused on a case study, namely in Hospital of Santo António emergency area, in the city of Porto, Portugal. The study was conducted in the year 2020, during the pandemic of COVID-19, which forced the change of screening processes. This research analyses and compares the new and previous sorting model and discusses if Lean methodology was applied. It was concluded, through data collected in the interview to the leading nurse, that despite de fact she is not familiar with the Lean concept and methodology, as process simplification and time reduction were taken into account, the new process can be considered Lean. The flow charts that reflect both the sorting structure used in the urgencies before and after were developed. Hospital culture, lack of communication before the new process implementation, and the facilities were some of the identified barriers.

Positive Technology

Given the crucial need to bridge the mental health service divide, the author examines the emerging trends in digital well-being management by focusing on the mobile health market. Using a bottom-up perspective and leveraging literature from positive technology and generalized unsafety theory of stress, the author conceptualizes how positive technology as a mobile health solution can help end users to respond effectively to different kinds of stressors during a crisis. It is further argued that the use of positive technology can positively reverse the automatic route to mental ill health that is plausible in the absence of safety perceptions. The chapter offers a theory-driven conceptualization of digital coping through positive technology. By showing how a simple, scalable, and sustainable positive technology design can cater to different user segments, the author urges policymakers, entrepreneurs, and healthcare service providers to participate in the design, propagation, adoption, and diffusion of such holistic positive technologies for fostering societal resilience.

The Buying Decision-Making Process in the Selection of Device Suppliers in Reproductive Medicine

This study identifies the criteria underlying the buying decision-making process of medical devices in reproductive medicine. This research had three main objectives. The first one was to translate the criteria mentioned by the decision-makers into theoretical constructs, while the second objective was intended to establish the relationship between the constructs, creating a conceptual model of buying decision-making for medical devices in reproductive medicine. The third objective was to identify suitable business and marketing strategies for such a decision-making process. Four constructs were evaluated in the pre-purchase phase, namely the brand, the product's performance, the training associated with the product, and the price. In the post-purchase phase, decision-makers evaluated the following constructs: service provided by the company, the relationship with the salesperson, and loyalty. Regarding marketing strategies, market-orientation strategy, relationship-marketing strategy, and brand-equity strategy were identified as possible strategies.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The good policymakers are creating marketing stimulus to social economy, restaurant and hotel discounts, employment maintenance aids, cultural events, etc., disseminating hope. The bad policymakers want the opposite and restrict family's circumstances and socialization. And finally, COVID-19 is blamed for all inefficiencies in the public health system, even those before the epidemic. This chapter explores why COVID-19 is innocent and not entirely responsible for health inefficiencies. The authors explore the main health concerns, analyzing earlier articles with recent documents before and during COVID-19.

Economic Profit vs. Social Benefit

There is currently a wide-ranging debate on whether it is ethical for pharmaceutical companies to profit and obtain large economic benefits by patenting and controlling the sale of essential medicines that can save thousands of lives, or, on the contrary, whether these medicines should be considered social products and offered at low prices so that anyone, in any country in the world, regardless of their purchasing power, can have access to them. This debate has intensified since health was considered a fundamental human right by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was expressly included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (specifically, in Goal 3: “Health and Well-Being”). Consequently, the overall objective of this chapter is to reflect on these questions: Should economic interests prevail over social ones in the case of essential life-saving medicines? Should the fundamental right to health prevail over the right granted by a patent? How far should corporate social responsibility (CSR) go in the pharmaceutical industry?

Health Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hungary

In this chapter, the authors are looking for the answer to how novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has influenced health communication in online platforms. The aim was to investigate with a newer qualitative research method (netnography) how the scenes of communication have been changed during the COVID-19 crisis. The content of some popular online public forums was analyzed that came up during the outbreak in Hungary. The participant opinions and attitudes regarding health communication of COVID-19 crisis management were observed. The community acceptance of two measures were investigated: necessity of wearing a mask and the mandatory evacuation of hospital beds. These topics divided the opinion of the citizens. In spite of the efficient COVID-19 outbreak management, there were very extreme and different opinions (skepticism, indignation, accusation, acceptance) in the online community about the accuracy and reliability of health communication. The results may support the future improvement of health crisis management.

How Social Media Contribute to Autists' Wellbeing

Electronic social networks have expanded communication possibilities. This chapter aims to present how such platforms allow the formation of virtual communities to support and exchange information and the inclusion of people with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) by comparing brand virtual communities from two countries, five from Brazil and one from the USA. Among interpretative methods, netnography and manual content analysis considering posts on each community were performed. Also, tweets about Autism Awareness Day were analyzed. As a result, it was possible to see that virtual communities' contribution allows dialogue among autists' relatives, releasing their suffering and sharing acceptable practices. Among contributions, this study helps to know the differences among various virtual communities and content in terms of viralization in health marketing.

Use of Emotional Intelligence in Human Resource Management in Healthcare Organizations for Competitive Advantage

Recent years have seen escalating interest in the impact of emotions within organizations. However, research on the role of emotional intelligence specifically in the domain of human resource management in healthcare organizations has been ignored. This chapter compiles a comprehensive, systematic review of literature on the impacts of emotional intelligence in the healthcare sector spanning a period from 1960 to 2020. The authors aim to explore and raise pertinent questions about the impacts of emotional intelligence on healthcare outcomes, job stress, emotional labor, and linkages of emotional intelligence with a competitive advantage for healthcare organizations. A major contribution of this work is the proposal of a novel conceptual framework for the marketing of emotional intelligence in the healthcare sector. Literature gaps, relationships among works, and current trends are discussed.

The Role of Technologies in Relationship Management and Internal Marketing

In health, as in any other industry, technology adoption, if used appropriately, is an important asset and a success factor for a company. Nowadays, it is no longer feasible to talk about health without addressing the role of technology. In this context, the present study aims to understand the impact and role of technologies in a hospital context (e.g., Hospital de Braga) and in the relationship management from an internal perspective (internal marketing). Based on a qualitative approach, the research also aims to analyze how internal communication is made between employees and between employees and managers in the Hospital of Braga. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five employees of the health institution, and a focus group with eight employees as well (four nurses, one computer technician, one administrative, one operational assistant, and a technical/administrative assistant). The results show that this technology is successful, but there are still some points to point out. The results also provide some discontent regarding internal marketing.