Priorities Determining Future Directions of Sustainable Development in Business Models of the Healthcare Industry—Findings and Framework

Rocio Rodriguez,David Eriksson,Göran Svensson

doi:10.3390/su13116507

Rocio Rodriguez, David Eriksson + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116507

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Abstract

The private healthcare sector was chosen because of the fundamental importance of quality in this sector, the widespread understanding that sustainable development is part of hospital quality standards, and the compelling need for the supply chain components to work together in order to add value to the business models of private healthcare services. This study uses a qualitative methodology, striving to add value to and shed light on the relationship between private hospital communication modes and their stakeholders’ needs and their stakeholders’ expectations of business models in the marketplace and society. This research lists a range of actions and services for assessing the priorities of private hospital communication modes in business models with respect to stakeholder needs and expectations. Furthermore, the study links stakeholder needs and the expectations of business models in private hospitals, with respect to private hospital communication modes with stakeholders, and vice versa. It also provides directions for managers in the healthcare industry to determine the appropriate actions and services for addressing stakeholders’ needs and stakeholders’ expectations of business models in private hospitals considering sustainable development. This research contributes to framing the future direction of sustainable development in business models of the healthcare industry. The paper outlines the assessment of communication modes in relation to economic, social, and environmental performance in the context of sustainable development.

Highlights

The sustainable development of business models in the healthcare sector requires proactive interaction between hospitals and stakeholders [1]
Based on the ratings provided by the key informants during the interviews, we revised the content of each interview to verify that the levels of priority across economic, social, and environmental performance of sustainable development were reasonable and justified, in order to provide an overview of priorities regarding stakeholder needs and the expectations that they have of private hospitals, as well as private hospital communication modes with stakeholders
The themes of sustainability, supply chain and business model innovation that we introduced to the interviewees, provided insights into hospital priorities for the sustainable development of business models from a supply chain network perspective in the private hospitals that we studied

Summary

Introduction

The sustainable development of business models in the healthcare sector requires proactive interaction between hospitals and stakeholders [1]. An efficient hospital supply chain should contribute to improved clinic performance, high patience service standards as well as security, efficient resource use, reduced waste, and minimized costs [5]. Balancing such goals is central to Supply Chain Management (SCM), where a win-win situation should be sought through the combined efforts of supply chain partners [6]. In truth, this is not done and requires cooperation among many actors [7], who are often interconnected through a complicated network of connections [8]

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