Contextualizing co-production of health care: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contextualize the concepts of “service co-production” and “value co-creation” to health care services, challenging the traditional bio-medical model which focusses on illness treatment and neglects the role played by patients in the provision of care. Design/methodology/approach – For this purpose, the author conducted a systematic review, which paved the way for the identification of the concept of “health care co-production” and allowed to discuss its effects and implications. Starting from a database of 254 records, 65 papers have been included in systematic review and informed the development of this paper. Findings – Co-production of health care services implies the establishment of co-creating partnerships between health care professionals and patients, which are aimed at mobilizing the dormant resources of the latter. However, several barriers prevent the full implementation of health care co-production, nurturing the application of the traditional bio-medical model. Practical implications – Co-production of health care is difficult to realize, due to both health care professionals’ hostility and patients unwillingness to be involved in the provision of care. Nonetheless, the scientific literature is consistent in claiming that co-production of care paves the way for increased health outcomes, enhanced patient satisfaction, better service innovation, and cost savings. The establishment of multi-disciplinary health care teams, the improvement of patient-provider communication, and the enhancement of the use of ICTs for the purpose of value co-creation are crucial ingredients in the recipe for increased patient engagement. Originality/value – To the knowledge of the author, this is the first paper aimed at systematizing the scientific literature in the field of health care co-production. The originality of this paper stems from its twofold relevance: on the one hand, it emphasizes the pros and the cons of health care co-production and, on the other hand, it provides with insightful directions to deal with the engagement of patients in value co-creatio

Building Healthier Communities: Value Co-Creation within the Chronic Care Model for Rural Under-Resourced Areas

“…This echoes the current focus by both researchers and practitioners in promoting patientcentered care, patient empowerment, and patient selfmanagement [26] approaches to chronic disease management. In this regard there is an emphasis on strong partnerships between the various parts of the health care system and the patient with particular interest in productive interactions as identified in the CCM.…”

Reading Public Service Co-Production through the Lenses of Requisite Variety

“…Nevertheless, public service co-production could be conceived as a fundamental process of variety generation (Palumbo, 2016). In fact, citizens' involvement in planning, designing, and delivering public services allow to increase the internal variety of public sector organizations, which could enhance their responsiveness by leveraging on the citizens' assets (Fenwick, 2012).…”

“…The issues concerning the implementation of public service co-production have been investigated in different fields, including: health care (Palumbo, 2016), social care (Wherton, Procter, Hinder, & Greenhalgh, 2015), public safety (Alford & Yates, 2015), and infrastructure-based public services (Wiewiora, Keast, & Brown, 2016). Scholars have widely emphasised the value added of co-production, discussing its positive effects in terms of: service quality improvement (Radnor Osborne, Kinder, & Mutton, 2014), increased responsiveness (Marschall, 2004), and service innovation (Alves, 2013).…”

Co-Creation in Health Systems Design

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