An inductive study on person-centricity in the hospital sector: insights from the provider side

Abstract

Design/methodology/approach: This research relied on in-depth interviews with different stakeholders in the hospital sector (n=35), going from stakeholders who were working in hospitals (internal) to those who did not work in hospitals (external). Stakeholders were also selected in function of their relationships with patients: stakeholders with direct interaction with hospital patients and stakeholders with indirect interaction with hospital patients. All interview data were analyzed by means of the Gioia method. Findings: The analysis identified (1) person-centricity motives, (2) person-centricity dimensions, and (3) person-centricity approaches. In terms of the motives, respondents point out that person-centricity can serve patients, hospitals, and its employees. Person-centricity dimensions entail (1) participation, (2) relation, (3) nearness, and (4) contextualization, each consisting of different levels whose relevance varies across respondents. Finally, respondents approach person-centricity as an inherent characteristic of people versus a manageable phenomenon. Originality/value: This research advances the healthcare and service management literature by detailing the multidimensional nature of person-centricity in the hospital sector. Additionally, this research demonstrates the difficulty of identifying a universal set of dimensions, as different views on the dimensionality exists. The proposed model paves the way for a dialogue among hospitals, caregivers, and patients about the implementation of person-centric care.