Customer value creation in the development of digital health services: discourse analysis

Paula Vieresjoki,Outi Kanste,Elina Laukka,Laura Kämäräinen,Marjo Suhonen

doi:10.23996/fjhw.101343

Abstract

The study’s aim was to describe how customer value creation is reflected in the development of digital health services. To this end, we used discourse analysis to evaluate documentation from the ODA (Self-Treatment and Digital Value Services) project, which provides national-scale digital health services. Three main discourses emerged: 1) a discourse on the active role of the customer, 2) a discourse on technology that activates the customer to create value, and 3) a discourse on the benefits of customer value creation. The research provided new insight into customer value creation in digital health service development. Speech about customer value creation was a part of the social reality of the digital health service’s development. The customer appeared as an active player and a key resource within the service. The role of the active customer was considered demanding and responsible. Our findings suggest that the new digital service changed customer behavior, with technology acting as an enabler of this change. Customer activity and information sharing were seen as enablers of value creation and the associated benefits, and there was a willingness to strengthen the customer’s role as a need determiner.

Highlights

Digitization strongly supports the empowerment of customers within the healthcare sector [1]
Because the ODA is a publicly funded healthcare project with a national scale, it was chosen as the context for a study on customer value creation in digital health services
The aim of this study is to describe how customer value creation is reflected in the development of digital health services

Summary

Introduction

Digitization strongly supports the empowerment of customers within the healthcare sector [1]. Because the ODA is a publicly funded healthcare project with a national scale, it was chosen as the context for a study on customer value creation in digital health services. According to SDL, in a dynamic service process, the customers are not objects of an activity but active co-producers of the service who are involved in the creation of value [7,8], are increasingly aware of their rights, and expect health services to better meet their needs [9]. Whereas the customer’s role was previously seen mainly as one based on adapting to the service providers’ offerings, customers are instead seen as subjects who seek information and options, make choices, and contribute to value creation [10,11]. The goal of value creation process is to provide solutions to meet the customers’ needs [7,8] and the shared goal of value co-creation in healthcare services is the customer’s good health [12,13]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion