Justyna Matysiewicz

Consumer Trust - Challenge for E-healthcare

The evolution of internet within the last years and the continuous advances in electronic commerce and communication provide exciting opportunities to implement a powerful framework of resources, tools and applications that revolutionize the way in which healthcare institutions interact with their patients, as well as deliver and manage medical services. Internet-based healthcare is the application of information and communication technologies across the whole range of healthcare functions. It covers everything from electronic prescriptions and computerized medical records to the use of new systems and services that cut waiting times and reduces data errors. Internet-benefits management promises to simplify and reduce costs for employers and bring more choices and control. The development and implementation of web-enabled communication, patient services and other e-health initiatives are increasingly important to maintaining a competitive advantage and to compete for the market share. More importantly, the value added for patients by facilitating access to information and resources is expected to improve the quality of services, the speed of treatment and potentially to rationalize the management of administrative processes. However, the introductions of such e-healthcare services into the market can be successful on the condition that customers will recognize all these advantages and have trust in organizations provide theses e-services. In this paper authors will concentrate on customer trust as key factor determining success of e-healthcare. The purpose of this study will determine the character and power of trust placed by customers in e-healthcare, and to identify factors influencing and diversifying customers trust to e-healthcare. Authors have ventured a thesis that customer trust to e-healthcare in Poland is high as a consequence of even higher customer satisfaction with traditional healthcare services and great customer trust in traditional healthcare institutions.

Patients‐medical unit relationship models in the virtual environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze factors influencing the mutual relationship between patients and medical units in the virtual environment. Since introduction of the internet and other electronic tools for medical services provision is at the very initial stage, it is necessary to examine factors which condition engagement of patients and medical units in building bilateral relations in a new virtual environment and to develop relationship models on the health services market. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings of the field study conducted in Poland, being a representative market under transition. Surveys were conducted among patients and medical units by means of structured questionnaires. The identification of relationship factors was based on the approach used in consumer behavior models, where the method of the so‐called summary of variables is left behind. Findings – According to research results, the most important factors affecting relationships between patients and medical units in the virtual environment include: the motivation, ability and market opportunity. With respect to patients, the most powerful factor is represented by the ability, whereas with respect to medical units by the market opportunity. Practical implications – Identified factors and developed models may be widely applied in practical operation of medical units, particularly in developing marketing programs for introduction of virtual service and communication tools, as well as in building patient loyalty programs. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to have defined factors determining relationships on the virtual healthcare market and to have provided useful insights into the subject. Moreover, it constitutes a basis for future studies. The findings can greatly contribute to development of customer behavior and partnership marketing theories.

NETWORK DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION IN HEALTHCARE SECTOR: A STUDY OF SYSTEMATIC SERVICES

The starting point for deliberations in the article is the issue of the essence and attributes of a network organisation as one of the contemporary forms of co-operation between health care organizations. The main aim of the article is to analyse the influence of a network development process on the service structure and its characteristics in health care. In the article the systemic product concept is introduced, which can be defined as a product that simultaneously satisfies a specified set of needs and expectations of the clients/patients. The clients indicate sets (clusters) of needs that appear simultaneously in some period of human life, for example those related to medical care. The service quality theory recognizes the need for integrated service delivery systems, requiring the whole organizations to be attuned to customer service and integration of the service delivery systems. The services literature emphasizes the need for the organization-wide commitment to service characteristics, quality and orientation for the client. A case-based research design is used to explore professional service sector (health care), providing two case studies in a rapidly expending market (Poland).

Customer trust in virtual environments in service sectors (a case study in Poland)

Internet technologies are the most popular means of communicating with other people, gathering information and purchasing products. In this article the authors want to compare two service sectors: the banking sector and the medical one. Both of them use the internet as a tool for creating virtual organisations and providing services to customers. Moreover, customer trust is one of the crucial factors in the development of both service sectors. The development of the internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) has provided a new area and tools for the development of more flexible services for banking and medical (not only administrative) applications. The purpose of this study is to identify the trust which e-banking and e-health service users place in virtual organisations. The authors have ventured a thesis that customer trust in virtual organisations in Polish service sectors is high as a consequence of even higher customer satisfaction with traditional organisations and great customer trust in traditional institutions.