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1 – 10 of over 31000
Article
Publication date: 9 August 2022

Sheau Fen (Crystal) Yap, Megan Phillips, Euejung Hwang and Yingzi Xu

Healthcare service is a process that comprises a series of touchpoints underlying the key facets of service delivery, collectively shaping the users' (i.e. patients, hospital…

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Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare service is a process that comprises a series of touchpoints underlying the key facets of service delivery, collectively shaping the users' (i.e. patients, hospital staff, and visitors) experiences. Departing from most sensory studies dedicated to understanding the retail environment and hedonic service, this study focuses on how sensory knowledge can contribute to understanding the sensory-based experiences of hospital users and their interactions with healthcare services at multiple touchpoints.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a multi-method approach comprising two studies involving semi-structured interviews and a qualitative online survey of past patients.

Findings

Drawing upon the user-centered theory, the authors (1) consulted healthcare experts on hospital service touchpoints and standards around medical protocol; (2) explored users' needs, experiences, expectations, and evaluations of healthcare services; and (3) identified the issues and challenges faced by healthcare service users at various service touchpoints. Based on these insights, the authors proposed sensory tactics across healthcare service touchpoints that promote the well-being of major hospital users.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed sensory tactics require follow-up empirical evidence. Future research could adopt robust methodological designs on healthcare environmental interventions and progress with a transdisciplinary approach to advance this research area.

Practical implications

The authors' experience-based framework forms the basis of a valuable toolkit for healthcare service management.

Originality/value

This study advances services literature by integrating sense-based marketing knowledge with healthcare service research to understand the dynamic and interactive relationship between hospital users and the environment.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 February 2024

Rachel Gifford, Arno van Raak, Mark Govers and Daan Westra

While uncertainty has always been a feature of the healthcare environment, its pace and scope are rapidly increasing, fueled by myriad factors such as technological advancements…

Abstract

While uncertainty has always been a feature of the healthcare environment, its pace and scope are rapidly increasing, fueled by myriad factors such as technological advancements, the threat and frequency of disruptive events, global economic developments, and increasing complexity. Contemporary healthcare organizations thus persistently face what is known as “deep uncertainty,” which obscures their ability to predict outcomes of strategic action and decision-making, presenting them with novel challenges and threatening their survival. Persistent, deep uncertainty challenges us to revisit and reconsider how we think about uncertainty and the strategic actions needed by organizations to thrive under these circumstances. Simply put, how can healthcare organizations thrive in the face of deeply uncertain environments? We argue that healthcare organizations need to employ both adaptive and creative strategic approaches in order to effectively meet patients' needs and capture value in the long-term future. The chapter concludes by offering two ways organizations can build the dynamic capabilities needed to employ such approaches.

Details

Research and Theory to Foster Change in the Face of Grand Health Care Challenges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-655-3

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 October 2023

Kiran Bharatam Kaundinya

Healthcare systems receive criticism from both providers and recipients. The diversity in these systems throughout the world makes innovation and change difficult. However, a…

Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare systems receive criticism from both providers and recipients. The diversity in these systems throughout the world makes innovation and change difficult. However, a structured analysis of healthcare systems is crucial to identify areas for improvement and to share best practices for the betterment of healthcare throughout the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses organizational theory as an unbiased tool for evaluating healthcare systems. This theory analyses healthcare systems across five dimensions: environment, culture, social structure, physical structure and technology. This analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the organization's surroundings, formation and function. It offers a lens through which healthcare systems can be envisioned and establishes a vocabulary for communication.

Findings

Organizational theory presents a multifaceted approach to initiate assessments aiming to enhance existing healthcare systems and customize them to serve all stakeholders within the focused ecosystem. It alters the dynamics of criticism and presents an opportunity to sustainably address unforeseen healthcare challenges in the future. As the author proceeds to understand healthcare organizations through the perspective of organizational theory, the author also uncovers subtle yet crucial issues such as resource dependence, cultural clashes, organizational silence, bureaucracy, hierarchy, ethics, values, engagement and burnout.

Originality/value

This paper was crafted from a collaborative paper for the final of a master's degree. A collaboration was conceptualized using organisation theory as the tool to align processes and achieve successful outcome. The narrative of the collaboration has been edited and paper presented highlighting the importance of the tool of organisation theory in healthcare systems.

Details

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-1374

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 July 2021

Lena Ansmann, Vera Vennedey, Hendrik Ansgar Hillen, Stephanie Stock, Ludwig Kuntz, Holger Pfaff, Russell Mannion and Kira Isabel Hower

Healthcare systems are under pressure to improve their performance, while at the same time facing severe resource constraints, particularly workforce shortages. By applying…

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Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare systems are under pressure to improve their performance, while at the same time facing severe resource constraints, particularly workforce shortages. By applying resource-dependency-theory (RDT), we explore how healthcare organizations in different settings perceive pressure arising from uncertain access to resources and examine organizational strategies they deploy to secure resources.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey of key decision-makers in different healthcare settings in the metropolitan area of Cologne, Germany, on perceptions of pressure arising from the environment and respective strategies was conducted. For comparisons between settings radar charts, Kruskal–Wallis test and Fisher–Yates test were applied. Additionally, correlation analyses were conducted.

Findings

A sample of n = 237(13%) key informants participated and reported high pressure caused by bureaucracy, time constraints and recruiting qualified staff. Hospitals, inpatient and outpatient nursing care organizations felt most pressurized. As suggested by RDT, organizations in highly pressurized settings deployed the most vociferous strategies to secure resources, particularly in relation to personnel development.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that focuses on the environment's impact on healthcare organizations across a variety of settings. RDT is a helpful theoretical foundation for understanding the environment's impact on organizational strategies. The substantial variations found between healthcare settings indicate that those settings potentially require specific strategies when seeking to address scarce resources and high demands. The results draw attention to the high level of pressure on healthcare organizations which presumably is passed down to managers, healthcare professionals, patients and relatives.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 August 2019

Mariam F. Alkazemi, Sara Bayramzadeh, Nouf B. Alkhubaizi and Ayman Alayoub

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the physical environment in patient satisfaction ratings as communicated in narratives on the social media platform such as…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the physical environment in patient satisfaction ratings as communicated in narratives on the social media platform such as Facebook.

Design/methodology/approach

Publicly available Facebook reviews (n = 4,502) of a reputable healthcare system in the USA were analyzed. A thematic analysis was conducted to explore architectural elements of the physical environment that play a role in patient satisfaction.

Findings

Facebook reviews were examined for the presence of design-related factors within the physical environment. Of the 627 posts (14 per cent) with relevant content, 56 involved factors related to the physical environment. The factors include: location, parking, cleanliness, privacy, waiting rooms, music and temperature. The results showed that environmental and design-related factors are part of patient satisfaction in hospitals.

Research limitations/implications

Not all Facebook reviews contain narrative information. Nevertheless, the impact of the built environment can manifest in online reviews of healthcare systems. Future patient satisfaction research should examine variables related to the built environment on social media ratings.

Practical implications

Social media feedback about the physical environment can help in understanding factors influencing patient satisfaction, which can have an implication for architectural design.

Social implications

The patient satisfaction is related to the physical environment of healthcare facilities. Some social media narratives reflect it and can be used to improve patient satisfaction.

Originality/value

Although some studies examine social media narratives on patient satisfaction, fewer studies examine these narratives in relation to the built environment. Created by a team of interdisciplinary researchers, this study provides a novel approach to examine social media ratings.

Details

Facilities , vol. 38 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2018

Courtney Suess and Makarand Amrish Mody

The study aims to examine how features that foster a sense of control, create positive distractions and provide access to social support influence patients’ well-being and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to examine how features that foster a sense of control, create positive distractions and provide access to social support influence patients’ well-being and, subsequently, their likelihood to choose hotel-like hospital rooms and their willingness to pay higher out-of-pocket expenses for such rooms. While there is increasing evidence to suggest the importance of the provision of hospitality in healthcare settings, research on these developments remains under-represented, particularly in the hospitality literature. In response, the present study builds on Ulrich’s (1991) theory of supportive design to examine patient responses to hotel-like features in a hospital room.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from a survey of 406 patients, the authors used structural equation modeling to test the model.

Findings

Consistent with supportive design principles, the infusion of hotel-like features that foster a sense of control for patients, create positive distractions and provide access to social support was found to positively impact patients’ physical and mental well-being, which, in turn, increased their likelihood to choose a hospital room with hotel-like features and their willingness to pay for such rooms.

Practical Implications

Findings attest to the need for healthcare providers to make the necessary investment in hotel-like features and to leverage the communicative power of these environmental cues. Social support in the form of hospitality-trained and certified healthcare staff was found to be the most important hotel-like feature, which also presents significant commercial opportunities for hospitality companies and professionals.

Originality Value

The study represents one of the first attempts to empirically develop a structured model to examine the infusion of hospitality into healthcare. It provides researchers with a theoretically supported framework for future inquiry into the domain. It also makes a significant contribution to advancing the research on patient well-being in healthcare settings and demonstrates the importance of hospitality to such endeavors.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2003

Larry A. Mallak, David M. Lyth, Suzan D. Olson, Susan M. Ulshafer, Susan M. Ulshafer and Frank J. Sardone

Healthcare organization performance is a function of many variables. This study measured relationships among culture, the built environment, and outcome variables in a healthcare

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Abstract

Healthcare organization performance is a function of many variables. This study measured relationships among culture, the built environment, and outcome variables in a healthcare provider organization. A culture survey composed of existing scales and custom scales was used as the principal measurement instrument. Results supported culture strength’s links with higher performance levels and identified the built environment’s role as a moderating variable that can lead to improved processes and outcomes. Job satisfaction and patient satisfaction were found to be significantly and positively correlated with culture strength and with ratings of the built environment.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 July 2009

Patrick A. Palmieri and Lori T. Peterson

The Institute of Medicine's seminal report, To err is human: Building a safer health system, established the national patient safety framework and initiated interest in changing…

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine's seminal report, To err is human: Building a safer health system, established the national patient safety framework and initiated interest in changing the traditionally punitive healthcare culture. This paper reviews a multidisciplinary literature and offers an attribution framework to explicate the organizational processes that contribute to an industry-wide culture where clinicians are routinely blamed for adverse patient events. Attribution theory is concerned with the manner in which people explain the behaviors of others or themselves by assigning causality for events. To date, attribution theory, though well established in the management literature, has yet to be translated to healthcare. In this paper, we first describe the historical evolution of attribution theory in relation to human behavior in clinical practice and healthcare management and then discuss the work environments in contemporary healthcare organizations. Next, we demonstrate the applicability of attribution theory to healthcare by providing two adverse event exemplar cases. Then, the Healthcare Attribution Error Model is offered to demonstrate how concepts from attribution theory serve as antecedents to the employee cynicism, learned helplessness, organizational inertia, and the emerging Just Culture perspective. We conclude by suggesting attribution theory offers an important theoretical framework that warrants further conceptual development and empirical research. In the quest to produce exceptional healthcare environments where safety and quality are fundamental employee concerns, healthcare managers and clinical professionals need theoretically supported knowledge and evidence-based insights.

Details

Biennial Review of Health Care Management: Meso Perspective
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84855-673-7

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2024

Albi Thomas and M. Suresh

Green transformation is more than simply a trend; it is a way of life, a set of habits, a field of knowledge and a dedication to resource conservation. Going green is surely a…

Abstract

Purpose

Green transformation is more than simply a trend; it is a way of life, a set of habits, a field of knowledge and a dedication to resource conservation. Going green is surely a creative and transformative process for both individuals and organizations. This paper aims to “identify,” “analyse” and “categorise” the readiness factors for green transformation process in health care using total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and neutrosophic-MICMAC.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the study objectives, the study used TISM and neutrosophic-MICMAC analysis. To identify the readiness factors, a literature study was conducted, and the factors were face-validated by the healthcare experts. The factors influence on one another were captured by using a scheduled interview with a closed ended questionnaire. The TISM addressed the identification and analysing of factors and the categorization and ranking the readiness factors is addressed by using neutrosophic-MICMAC analysis.

Findings

This study identified 11 green transformation process readiness factors for healthcare organizations. The study states that the key factors or driving factors are awareness of green governance principle, environment leadership and management, green gap analysis, information and communication technology and innovation dynamics.

Research limitations/implications

The factor ranking is sensitive to the respondents’ ratings. The study relied on the past literature and experts’ opinion may result in the subjective biases. The complex nature of healthcare ecosystem challenges to capture all the factors. The study focussed on Indian hospitals.

Practical implications

Study significantly impacts the healthcare practitioners, academicians and policymakers by providing critical insights into the readiness factors required for the healthcare green transformation process. The study offers a better understanding of the crucial or key or driving factors that aid in embracing green and sustainable practices.

Originality/value

Identifying a gap in conceptual and theoretical frameworks for green transformation readiness factors in healthcare organizations and in Indian context. The study addresses this gap by aiming to create a thorough theoretical framework and highlighted by its focus on Indian hospitals.

Details

Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4195

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2021

Faezeh Ghaffari, Maryam Shabak, Nima Norouzi and Siyamak Nayyeri Fallah

This study aimed at the identification of perceptional environment properties in hospital public spaces that can affect salutogenic components and patients' overall satisfaction…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed at the identification of perceptional environment properties in hospital public spaces that can affect salutogenic components and patients' overall satisfaction and suggested a conceptual framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review focused on specific steps to clarify the impact of public spaces' environmental quality on patients' satisfaction through the salutogenic approach. Searches were conducted in five databases and four scientific journals.

Findings

Five perceptional environment components of hospital public spaces: physical–psychological comfort, visibility, accessibility, legibility and relationability can be related to three indicators of salutogenic approach: manageability, perception and meaning and can be evaluated in patients' overall satisfaction: desire to use hospital again, to recommend the hospital to others, to prefer hospital to other healthcare environments and to trust in the hospital.

Originality/value

Despite studies on healthcare environments, there is a lack of research on the salutogenic approach in hospital public spaces. Therefore, this paper focuses on the environmental quality in public spaces as an influence on patients' satisfaction with the salutogenic perspective to create a health-promoting environment.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 31000