Value co-creation in the health-care ecosystem for sustained excellence: realization of patient-centered medicine through task shifting of nurses

Abstract

PurposeIn Japan, health-care systems have long been supported by physicians' long working hours. To solve this problem, there is an urgent need to improve the working environment for physicians while practicing patient-centered medicine and controlling health-care costs. This paper aims to examine the effect of task shifting to nurses and discuss its usefulness from the perspective of health-care value co-creation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzes task shifting to nurses in acute care hospitals in Japan as a solution for the shortage of anesthesiologists. The authors discuss how the value was created from the perspective of the health-care ecosystem, with conceptual consideration of the value co-creation mechanism through patient-centered practices.FindingsThe study showed that task shifting initiatives in Japan can improve the motivation of nurses through human resource development while maintaining high quality. The study also suggested that task shifting from physicians to nurses may contribute to improving net income and maintaining the health-care system.Practical implicationsThe findings are highly reproducible and can be immediately applied to initiatives at other medical institutions in Japan. Furthermore, it is suggested that these findings might provide some perspective on the realignment of fragmented healthcare in the USA.Originality/valueIt was confirmed in practical terms that micro-level initiatives have an impact on the macro level as well. In addition, the academic presentation of the concept has contributed to the deepening of value research.