Abstract
Introducing new technologies to the healthcare market provides unique opportunities for implementing a powerful framework of resources, tools, and applications that can revolutionize the ways in which medical units interact with their patients, as well as help deliver and manage medical services. The Internet of Services, as a new concept of Internet evaluation, depends not only on technological solutions but also on service innovations in the field of new value propositions where a patient-centered model is needed. Such a model would consider patient preferences, values, and the need for information as the leading characteristics of care. Patient and medical unit engagement is an essential prerequisite for the new value proposition development process. In this paper, we focus on the identification and analysis of the determinants responsible for the mutual engagement of patients and medical units. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe a relational model for the virtual healthcare service market. This study adopted a quantitative survey approach. The questionnaire was based on a three-factor model of consumer behavior, considering motivation, capacity, and opportunities. The relationships between patients and healthcare organizations will develop on the condition that the patients are properly motivated and have adequate abilities to become engaged in the relationships with health care providers.
Highlights
The challenges facing healthcare systems in recent years have significantly influenced the business models of healthcare units
Direct research shows that patients’ relationships with healthcare organizations in a virtual environment are determined by factors with different characteristics and scales of influence
The most important motivation factors are recommendations from the patients’ friends and legal obligations. It is worth noting the important role of knowledge about specific features of medical services and the ability to make fast, independent decisions to reduce the risk of using virtual healthcare services
Summary
The challenges facing healthcare systems in recent years have significantly influenced the business models of healthcare units. Demographic changes, globalization, and the improvement of health technologies leading to better survival alongside with raising patient expectations all contributing to placing increasing pressure on available healthcare resources. The dominant model based on physician-centered care patterns has been questioned; these patterns are gradually transforming, new patient-centered care has been slow to develop [1,2,3,4,5]. According to Lega and de Pietro [2], emerging trends are moving medical unit processes related to the needs of care processes and patients away from the traditional physician-centered approach. As for the patient-centered care, an individual’s specific health needs and desired health outcomes are the driving force behind all healthcare decisions and quality measurements. Patients are treated as partners with their healthcare providers and the providers treat their patients from a medical perspective and from the emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and financial ones [6]
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