Healthcare Customers Research Articles

The effect of team-model on healthcare usage and treatment levels among people with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background In North Karelia Finland, a team-based service model was implemented in some municipalities’ primary healthcare (PHC) centers during 2020. In this team-model, a healthcare customer contacts a nurse who initiates the service process immediately. Nurses can also consult or direct customers to other healthcare professionals and arrange physical appointments if needed. The aims of the model are improved customer and personnel experience and satisfaction, and improved quality and effectiveness of care. We assess the effect of this team-model on treatment levels, measurement activity, and health care usage among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Patients with T2D were identified using the ICD-10 code E11 from the regional electronic health records. The data include all patients diagnosed by 2016 who were alive and residing in North Karelia in 2023 (N = 6312). Diabetes-related contacts with nurses or doctors in outpatient PHC and specialized healthcare (SHC) were considered, along with measurement activity and levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) between the years 2017 and 2022. Annual differences between areas were analyzed using logistic and linear mixed models. Results In 2017, patients’ mean age was 66 and age range 20-93. The proportion of men was 55% and 45% resided in team-model areas in 2023. The team-model increased T2D-related outpatient PHC remote contact with nurses for a couple of years. But eventually they decreased to a lower level than before. Additionally, the team-model reduced the number of other contacts. An increased difference between areas in measurement activity on HbA1c and LDL levels was also observed. But the difference between areas in proportion of those who achieved treatment targets stayed unchanged. Conclusions In the long-term, the team-model reduced the number of T2D-related contacts and increased the measurement activity of HbA1c and LDL, but it had no effect on treatment levels. Key messages • Team-based service models might potentially reduce service use in the long term. • More research and evidence are needed on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of team-based service models.

Utilizing online reviews for analyzing digital healthcare consultation services: Examining perspectives of both healthcare customers and healthcare professionals

IntroductionDigital healthcare consultation services, also known as telemedicine, have seen a surge in their usage, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to investigate the satisfaction determinants of healthcare customers (patients) and healthcare professionals (doctors), providing digital healthcare consultation services. MethodsThe analysis involved scraping online reviews of 11 telemedicine apps meant for patients and 7 telemedicine apps meant for doctors, yielding a total of 44,440 patient reviews and 4748 doctor reviews. A structural topic modeling analysis followed by regression, dominance, correspondence, and emotion analysis was conducted to derive insights. ResultsThe study identified ten determinants of satisfaction from patients’ and eight from doctors’ perspectives. For patients, ’service variety and quality’ (β = 0.5527) was the top positive determinant, while ’payment disputes’ (β = -0.1173) and ’in-app membership’ (β = -0.031) negatively impacted satisfaction. For doctors, ’patient consultation management’ (β = 0.2009) was the leading positive determinant, with ’profile management’ (β = -0.1843), ’subscription’ (β = -0.183), and ’customer care support’ (β = -0.0908) being the negative ones. The most influential negative emotion for patients, anger, was closely associated with ’customer care service’ and ’in-app memberships,’ while joy was tied to ’service variety and quality’ and ’offers and discounts.’ For doctors, anger was associated with ’cost-effectiveness,’ and joy with ’app responsiveness.’ ConclusionThis study offers new insights by examining patient and doctor determinants at a granular level which can be used by telemedicine app developers and managers to build customer-centric services.

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare booking and cancellation patterns: time series analysis of private healthcare service utilisation in Finland

BackgroundCOVID-19 has had wide-reaching effects on healthcare services beyond the direct treatment of the pandemic. Most current studies have reported changes in realised service usage, but the dynamics of how patients engage with healthcare services are less well understood. We analysed the effects of COVID-19 on healthcare bookings and cancellations for various service channels between January 2020 and July 2021.MethodsOur data includes 7.3 million bookings, 11.0 million available appointments, and 405.1 thousand cancellations by 900.6 thousand individual patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years. The data were collected from electronic health record data, including laboratory and imaging services as well as inpatient stays, between January 2017 and July 2021. The patients were Finnish private and occupational healthcare customers in the capital region of Finland. We fitted an autoregressive moving average (ARIMA) model on data between 2017 and 2019 to predict the expected numbers of bookings, available appointments, and cancellations, which were compared to observed time series data between 2020 and 2021.ResultsUtilisation of physical, in-person primary care physician appointments decreased by up to 50% during the first 18 months of the pandemic. At the same time, digital care channels experienced a rapid, multi-fold increase in service usage. Simultaneously, the number of bookings for laboratory and imaging services decreased by 50% below the pre-pandemic projections. The number of specialist and hospital service bookings remained at the predicted level during the study period. Cancellations for most health services increased sharply by up to three times the pre-COVID levels during the first weeks of the pandemic but returned to the pre-pandemic levels for the rest of the study period.ConclusionsThe reduction in in-person appointments and the increase in the utilisation of digital services was likely a contributing factor in the decrease of the utilisation of diagnostic and imaging services throughout the study period. Utilisation of specialist care and hospital services were not affected. Cancellations contributed to the changes in service utilisation only during the first weeks of the pandemic.

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Embracing Innovation, Addressing Challenges, and Prioritizing Patient-Centric Care.

In the digital era, healthcare customer feedback plays a pivotal role in shaping the reputation of healthcare organizations. The study explores how digital advancements are integrated into modern healthcare, offering both transformative insights and addressing the challenges they present. It investigates how technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital platforms, and patient feedback systems impact patient care, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction in healthcare settings. The study emphasizes the importance of balancing both capitalizing on the opportunities presented by innovations and addressing the inherent difficulties associated with digitalization in healthcare, underlining the need for a comprehensive approach to navigating the opportunities and challenges in healthcare digitalization. AI is recognized for its role in reshaping value creation in healthcare, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and improving patient care. Additionally, the study identifies key areas of research essential for effectively navigating the digital transformation in healthcare, including operational efficiency, patient-centric strategies, and organizational factors. However, along with the potential benefits come challenges, such as the need for regulatory frameworks to validate new technologies and address privacy concerns surrounding patient data. Managing reputation and customer relationships in the digital sphere also emerges as critical for healthcare organizations. In summary, the study underscores the importance of healthcare institutions prioritizing patient-centric care, adopting digital innovations, and adeptly navigating regulatory and ethical challenges. By doing so, they can enhance patient outcomes, and satisfaction, and drive innovation in today's dynamic healthcare landscape.

Conceptualization and validation of customer participation in health care: a study on chronic illnesses management

PurposeContrary to want-based services, customer participation has got lesser attention in high-credence services like health care. Customer participation for patients with chronic illnesses could be life-threatening and goes beyond the service organization’s physical environment. Realizing the importance of transformative service research in health-care services, this study aims to propose and validate the conceptualization of customer participation for patients with chronic illnesses.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses sequential exploratory research design with mixed method research. The first phase is a qualitative exploration of the nature and meaning of customer participation by synthesizing theory and insights from semi-structured interviews (N = 75) with doctors, patients and paramedical staff. Next, survey data (N = 690) of patients with chronic illnesses is used to validate the proposed conceptualization. Finally, nomological validity was also tested on an additional survey data set (N = 362) using SEM and FsQCA.FindingsThe findings reveal that health-care customer participation is a three-dimensional behavioral construct in which a customer can participate by sharing information, involving in decision-making and ensuring compliance. The study also demonstrates that customer participation is a critical driver of satisfaction with life and perceived control on illness.Practical implicationsThe research provides policy guidelines for owners and operators of health-care organizations in developing frameworks for collecting participation data, which can be used in strategies for seeking customer participation.Originality/valueThe research conceptualizes and validates “customer participation” as a multidimensional higher-order construct for patients with chronic illnesses, rarely focused in services marketing and management research on health care.

Customer search strategies of entrepreneurial telehealth firms – how effective is effectuation?

PurposeThe demand for healthcare innovation is increasing, and not much is known about how entrepreneurial firms search for and sell to customers in the highly regulated and complex healthcare market. Drawing on effectuation perspectives, we explore how entrepreneurial digital healthcare firms with disruptive innovations search for early customers in the healthcare sector.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a qualitative, longitudinal multiple-case design of four entrepreneurial Nordic telehealth firms. In-depth interviews were conducted with founders and senior managers over a period of 27 months.FindingsWe find that when customer buying conditions are highly flexible, case firms use effectual logic to generate customer demand for disruptive innovations. However, under constrained buying conditions firms adopt a more causal approach to customer search.Practical implicationsManagers need to gain a deep understanding of target buying environments when searching for customers. In healthcare sector markets, the degree of flexibility customers have over buying can constrain them from engaging in demand co-creation. In particular, healthcare customer access to funding streams can be a key determinant of customer flexibility.Originality/valueWe contribute to effectuation literature by illustrating how customer buying conditions influence decision-making logics of entrepreneurial firms searching for customers in the healthcare sector. We contribute to entrepreneurial resource search literature by illustrating how entrepreneurial firms search for customers beyond their networks in the institutionally complex healthcare sector.

Success Factors of Telemedicine Startup In Vietnam: The roadmap to transform healthcare customer behavior

Introduction & Objective: Telemedicine has become a breakthrough solution for improving access to health care services. In Vietnam, telemedicine is a key national program developed by the Ministry of Health and the government. However, the implementation process encountered many challenges, and the number of successful businesses in this field is still limited. This study integrated the technology acceptance model and the extended valance framework to develop an efficient behavioral model for investigating the relationship between trust in provider, perceived ease of use, perceived benefit, and perceived risk on usage intention. Methods: The proposed framework was verified through in-depth interviews with three experts in the Vietnamese health technology market and was tested by 246 participants via a web-based survey. Results: Generally, the findings showed that perceived ease of use and perceived benefit positively and significantly affected usage intention, whereas perceived risk negatively and significantly influenced usage intention. Trust in the provider positively and significantly influenced usage intention and perceived benefit, but negatively influenced perceived risk (β = -0.677, p = 0.000). Perceived ease of use significantly and positively affected perceived benefit, whereas the effect of perceived ease of use on perceived risk was not statistically significant (p = 0.128). Conclusion: The proposed hypothetical model offers empirical insights for healthcare professionals, service providers, and authorities. Moreover, it can serve as a theoretical basis for future research

Enabling Generative AI for Life Sciences and Healthcare Customers using the Power of Cloud

Enabling Generative AI for Life Sciences and Healthcare Customers using the Power of Cloud

Co-creation Practices and Service Outcomes: A Transformative Health Service Framework

This study investigates how the dimensions of service quality and providers’ supportive co-creation practices impact service satisfaction, which affects behavioral intentions and quality-of-life in a developing country. Customers in developing countries evaluate their co-creation efforts differently than those in developed countries. Hence, this study also explores the moderating effects of customer efforts in value co-creation activities on wellbeing enhancement. A transformative framework for healthcare services was developed using transformative service research (TSR) and value co-creation perspectives. Data collected from 421 healthcare customers were used to test the proposed model using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that timeliness, tangibles, technical quality, engagement facilitation, risk assessment, and relationship quality positively influence service satisfaction. The results also reveal that customer efforts in value co-creation activities bolster the effects of service satisfaction on behavioral intention and quality-of-life. The results offer important insights into how healthcare organizations can utilize supportive co-creation practices to enhance business and societal impacts. This study offers a transformative service framework depicting the enhancement of service outcomes through practical unification of the roles of service providers and customers in the healthcare context. Hence, this study contributes to the research agenda in TSR and, more importantly, healthcare management in developing countries.

Seven Aspects of Healthcare Customer Satisfaction And Factors Affecting It Within Emergency Department

Seven Aspects of Healthcare Customer Satisfaction And Factors Affecting It Within Emergency Department

How does a hospital servicescape impact the well-being and satisfaction of both health care customers and professionals?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how servicescapes impact well-being and satisfaction of both hospital customers (patients) and health care professional service providers. Design/methodology/approach The study investigates how a hospital servicescape impacts two critical outcomes – well-being and satisfaction – of both hospital patients (customers) and health care professionals, who are immersed in that environment. Findings The hospital servicescape had a greater impact on physical, psychological and existential well-being for professionals than for patients. However, the reverse was true for satisfaction. The new servicescape enhanced the satisfaction and physical and psychological well-being of professionals but only the satisfaction of customers. Research limitations/implications The study implications for health care policy suggest that investment in health care-built environments should balance the needs of health care professionals with those of customers to benefit their collective well-being and satisfaction. Practical implications Based on the findings, the authors propose that servicescape investments should focus on satisfying the physical needs of patients while also placing emphasis on the psychological needs of professionals. Social implications Health care spending on physical facilities should incorporate careful cost-benefit analysis, ensuring that beneficial features for both user groups are included in new hospital designs, omitting features that are less supportive of well-being. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to compare the impact of the same real-life servicescape on the satisfaction of both customers and service providers (professionals) and considers the critical health outcome of well-being.

Customer perceived quality of life in provider value cocreation: The mediating role of customer value cocreation and the moderating role of customer emotions

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the association between service provider value cocreation (PVCC) and customer perceived quality of life (QOL) in a healthcare service context. This study also examines the mediating role of customer value cocreation (CVCC) and the moderating role of customer emotions using a conditional process framework. To examine the conceptual model, data were collected through an online survey of 441 healthcare customers. The hypotheses were tested using covariance‐based structural equation modeling (CB‐SEM) and PROCESS macro. The results show that PVCC positively influences both CVCC and QOL. The effect of CVCC on QOL is positive and significant. CVCC plays a mediating role in the link between PVCC and QOL. In addition, the absence of negative emotion serves as a moderator in improving perceived QOL. Evaluating value cocreation efforts allows service providers to understand their readiness for supportive value cocreation practices. Service providers must also focus on customers' roles in the value cocreation process. In addition, handling customers' emotions should be of particular interest to frontline service providers, because it augments a positive value cocreation practice beneficial to CVCC and QOL enhancement. This study contributes to the value cocreation literature by proposing a framework that combines the value cocreation of service providers and customers in enhancing QOL. This study also explicates and validates the complex role of value cocreation and emotion in the healthcare service context. The theoretical and managerial implications are also presented.

Exploring the Effects of Blockchain Implementation on Digital Patient Experience and Health Care Customer Value Co-creation: A Review

Exploring the Effects of Blockchain Implementation on Digital Patient Experience and Health Care Customer Value Co-creation: A Review

Dynamic Customer Value Cocreation in Healthcare

In managing a chronic illness, customers have the opportunity to play an active role in their healthcare—by cocreating value. For example, customers can adhere to medical advice, seek out information about their condition(s), manage their diet, and interact with family and friends. Moreover, across an extended treatment period, customers may dynamically adjust their level of value cocreation. In this study, we examine 307 healthcare customers receiving treatment for cancer, with 12 value cocreation activities tracked longitudinally over 4 survey waves. Using a hidden Markov model, we reveal three latent states of customer value cocreation: low, moderate, and high. We then determine which of the 12 value cocreation activities are most strongly associated with transitions among cocreation states. Finally, we show that transitioning to a cocreation state with a higher level of cocreation activity positively correlates with customer and marketing outcomes, including customer quality of life and satisfaction. Our findings show that an increase in six cocreation activities—actively sharing information, compliance with medical requirements, interacting with staff, maintaining a healthy diet, interacting with others who receive treatment, and maintaining a good physical appearance—yields positive gains for both customer and marketing outcomes. In contrast, an increase in emotion regulation negatively affects customer outcomes.

Autologous versus allogeneic: the future of manufacturing and standardization in cell therapies

Rupa Pike, PhD is the Senior Director of Technical Affairs for Advanced Therapies, Pharma Services Group at Thermo Fisher Scientific. The Office of Technical Affairs comprises scientific experts that serve as a strategic, innovational and educational leaders in the area of cell-based therapies, plasmids and mRNA therapeutics. In her prior role as the Director of Enterprise Science and Innovation Partnerships, she developed and managed strategic partnerships with global BioPharma, Biotech and Healthcare customers in the area of Cell and Gene Therapy. Prior to this, she was the Head of Technical Operations (Patheon/Thermo Fisher Scientific) where she worked closely with customers to conduct technology transfer and process optimization activities related to GMP manufacturing of cell-based therapies. She has over 15 years of expertise in GMP manufacturing and has successfully led GMP operations, Process Development and MSAT activities, infrastructure buildout, customer relations and business development.Delara Motlagh, PhD the General Manager of Cell Therapy Technologies at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado. She is passionate about the cell & gene therapy market and the potential these innovative therapies hold to improve the lives of patients.She brings more than 18 years of experience in biotechnology and healthcare in various therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiology, orthopedics, hematology, and nephrology. Prior to joining Terumo Blood and Cell Therapies in 2017, Delara served in diverse leadership roles at Baxter Healthcare in marketing, research & development, and operations. Her cross-functional background provides a unique perspective and deep understanding of development, cell manufacturing, and commercialization elements in the industry. Delara received a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Illinois, fellowship in Vascular Tissue Engineering at Northwestern University, and Executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management.Patrick Hanley, PhD is the Chief and Director of the Cellular Therapy Program and an associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s National Hospital and the George Washington University, respectively. He oversees processing for standard of care stem cell transplantation as well as the development, manufacture, quality, and testing of novel cellular therapies and is responsible for seeking partnerships and commercialization of promising cell and gene therapies. Trained as an Immunologist, Dr Hanley has an extensive background and interest in cellular therapy and is passionate about improving regulations for cellular therapy, training the next generation of cell therapists, and facilitating the translation of new therapeutics. Over the past 15 years he has helped to translate more than 300 products on over 25 cell therapy protocols – ranging from mesenchymal stromal cells to cord blood virus-specific T cells and tumor-associated antigen specific T cells – into the clinic.

Digital Health Experience: A Regulatory Focus Perspective

Digital technology is an integral part of today's healthcare, yet little is known about how these technologies affect healthcare customers' experience. This study uses regulatory focus theory to understand how consumers' role clarity, perceived usefulness, ease of use (i.e., promotion orientation), security, and trust (i.e., prevention orientation) when using digital health technology affect their experience. A nationwide study shows that customer experience is driven by promotion- and prevention-related variables concurrently. Results also show that customer experience with digital health technology positively affects customers' attitudes toward using digital technology. This study offers valuable insights for marketers, technology developers, and healthcare managers interested in understanding and improving healthcare customer experience.

Digitisation of Healthcare Products and the Democratization Continuum of the Healthcare System in China : A Systematic Review

Typical of most industries, digitisation of healthcare products, services and models of E-Commerce is democratizing the current healthcare system in China while unlocking new previously inaccessible healthcare segments. This monumental convergence of healthcare industry with IT is part of a larger evolution and growth of E-Commerce from simple search portals for purchasing goods and services to more integrated digital marketplace that incorporates personalized experience and informed purchase decision making into online behaviours. The result is the manifestation of a new era of healthcare consumerism, as healthcare customers demand retail-like buying experience. We performed a comprehensive systematic scoping review of published data to identify how E-Commerce is complementing the traditional healthcare delivery system in China. We note that healthcare E-Commerce is facilitating the reconstruction of the healthcare value chain in China and at the same time is helping health facilities to reengineer operations and service processes. Our study highlights the important role E-commerce is playing in the healthcare industry in China.

Hierarchy of customer goals: conceptual framework and new insights

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to: (1) better understand the structure (hierarchy) of customer goals providing conceptual clarity; and (2) propose a hierarchy of customer goals conceptual framework that explicates how healthcare customer goals are linked to drivers and outcomes, thus building theory and informing practice.Design/methodology/approachThe research draws on 21 in-depth interviews of patients with a chronic disease. Drawing principally on construal-level theory and using manual thematic analysis and Leximancer, this article provides new insights into customer goals.FindingsIn a first, the authors identify a two-dimensional structure for each of the three main goal types, which previously had been viewed as unidimensional. The authors develop a conceptual framework linking drivers of goal setting (promotion/prevention focus world view and perceived role) with goal type (life goals, focal goals and action plan goals and their respective subgoals) and outcomes (four forms of subjective well-being). Visual concept maps illustrate the relative importance of certain health-related goals over others.Research limitations/implicationsThe usefulness of the authors’ conceptual framework is demonstrated through the application of their framework to goal setting among healthcare customers, showing links between the structure of goals (life goals, focal goals and action plan goals) to drivers (promotion/prevention focus world view and perceived role) and outcomes (subjective well-being) and the framework's potential application to other service settings.Originality/valueThis study contributes to healthcare marketing and service management literature by providing new insights into goal setting and proposing a novel hierarchy of customer goals conceptual framework linking drivers, goal types and outcomes.

The burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis in Finnish occupational healthcare

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability and pain especially among older adults, but it is also known to affect working age individuals, often leading to reduced productivity and increased healthcare usage. The aim of this study was to determine the burden of hip and knee OA in Finnish occupational healthcare.MethodsThis was a retrospective registry study utilizing the electronic medical records of the largest private and occupational healthcare provider in Finland. All consented patients with hip or knee OA were identified. A subcohort of occupational healthcare (OCH) patients was then compared to an age- and gender-matched control group without OA. Patient demographics including comorbidities were determined and healthcare contacts, medication prescriptions, and sick leaves were compared between the two groups. The study period was from January 1st, 2012 to April 30th, 2020.Results51,068 patients with hip or knee OA were identified (all OA cohort) and 35,109 of these formed the occupational healthcare subcohort. Most of the OA patients were female and belonged to the age group 50–59 years. The point prevalence of hip/knee OA at the end of the study period was 5.6% for the occupational healthcare subcohort. OA patients had 2.2 times more healthcare contacts and 2.8 times more overall sick leave days compared to the age- and gender-matched control cohort. Etoricoxib was the most commonly prescribed medication at OA-related visits (21.8% of patients). Opioids were prescribed to 10.6% of patients at OA-related visits and the most prescribed opioid was a combination of codeine and paracetamol (4.8% of patients). 5054 OA patients (14.4%) had a contraindication for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).ConclusionsThis retrospective registry study utilizing real-world data provides new evidence on the disease burden of hip or knee osteoarthritis from the electronic medical records of Finnish occupational healthcare customers. OA patients had more comorbidities, more healthcare contacts, more sick leave days, and more analgesic prescriptions compared to an age- and gender-matched control cohort without OA.

Does well-being differ across customer value cocreation practice styles? An empirical study in a chronic health context

PurposeDrawing on an extensive range of activities across different types, including mandatory (customer), mandatory (customer or organisation), voluntary in-role and voluntary extra-role activities, this study aims to identify different health-care customer value cocreation practice styles based on the combinations of value cocreation activities they undertake and empirically examine how customers adopting different styles differ in terms of well-being and satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted across health customers with a variety of chronic conditions. Data were collected from three focus groups and an online survey.FindingsFive customer practice styles, namely, the highly active, other-oriented, provider-oriented, self-oriented and passive compliant customers, were revealed. While a moderate to a high level of activities is often recommended as it is associated with higher levels of physical, psychological, existential and social well-being and customer satisfaction, the results also suggest there is no single ideal style as different styles may be associated with the same level of outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsAs customers cocreate value differently, it is crucial to understand the underlying heterogeneity and its implications to outcomes.Practical implicationsHighly active and provider-oriented are the two styles that should be particularly encouraged because of their association with positive outcomes. Personalised strategies need to be developed and resources need to be put in place to build productive relationships amongst service providers, customers and peers and to increase the perceived value of such interactions so as to shift customers towards more active styles.Originality/valueThe study advances the understanding of customer value cocreation and its link to well-being by empirically deriving five distinct practice styles and demonstrating how they differ across meaningful well-being and satisfaction dimensions.