To read this content please select one of the options below:

An e-marketplace of healthcare and social care services: the perceived interest

Maria Manuela Cruz-Cunha (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Campus do IPCA, Barcelos, Portugal and University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal)
Isabel Miranda (Câmara Municipal de Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal)
Nuno Lopes (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos, Portugal)
Ricardo Simoes (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Campus do IPCA, Barcelos, Portugal and University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal)

The Learning Organization

ISSN: 0969-6474

Article publication date: 16 September 2013

341

Abstract

Purpose

The health and social care sector is receiving growing attention due to the increased life expectancy and to the public demand for a better quality of life and better health services. New cost-efficient approaches are required, and the paper aims to present and discuss the main results of a study undertaken in a Portuguese municipality on the perceived relevance of an e-marketplace of social and healthcare services for the inhabitants in general, and for people with special needs in particular, and the identification of the most relevant services to be offered through this platform.

Design/methodology/approach

A wide survey was undertaken to identify the needs of potential users and their expectancies with relation to the proposed platform. The results of the study are a support for the project promoters to understand the viability of the solution and the requirements to the deployment of the pilot experiment, as well as to drive the selection of domains of activities/classes of services to be offered by the platform.

Findings

Services such as information about healthcare services, home monitoring/accompanying services 24 hours per day, and personal hygiene services provided at home are the ones recognized by the inquired citizens as the most important, which indicates that the potential users will be mostly people with special needs or their family or caregivers.

Originality/value

While still at a preliminary development phase, the project represents a good opportunity to develop a totally innovative service with high potential impact for the senior population and for individuals with special needs.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Financial support provided by the Municipality of Guimaraes, under a collaboration project with the University of Minho. Foundation for Science and Technology, Lisbon, through 3° Quadro Comunitário de Apoio, and project PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2013.

Citation

Manuela Cruz-Cunha, M., Miranda, I., Lopes, N. and Simoes, R. (2013), "An e-marketplace of healthcare and social care services: the perceived interest", The Learning Organization, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 406-418. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-10-2013-0055

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles