Title: Knowledge and satisfaction - two premises for healthcare service innovation and development: the perspective of UCSPVR users

Authors: Fernanda Maria Duarte Nogueira; Maria José de Matos Rainho; Lucinda Fátima Costa Vaz Silva

Addresses: School of Social and Political Sciences, Technical University of Lisbon, Pólo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, Rua Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisboa, Portugal ' Department of Economics, Sociology and Management, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Avenida Almeida Lucena 1, 5000-660 Vila Real, Portugal ' North Regional Health Administration, ACeSMarão I Douro Norte, The Functional Unit of the Diagnostic Centre of Pulmonology, Vila Real, Quinta da Redonda, Lote 6, Mateus, 5000-577 Vila Real, Portugal

Abstract: Innovation may be approached as the implementation of new or significantly improved products, of new processes, of new organisational methods for business practices and the local organisation of work or changes in the organisation's external relationships. In such contexts, the opinions of healthcare service users play a fundamental role in the reform of healthcare units, and especially in terms of economic efficiency, improving care standards and innovating in organisational structures and processes. This article studies the level of user satisfaction with the services provided by three healthcare units. The questionnaire, completed by 638 service users, features three different sections: the socio-demographic characteristics of users, the healthcare visit context, and finally the level of user satisfaction with the services received. Six weak points are identified and improvement in these areas would drive innovation in healthcare provision and the development of the respective organisational units studied.

Keywords: organisational development; knowledge; user satisfaction; healthcare services; service innovation; service development; healthcare reforms; economic efficiency; care standards; organisational structures; process improvement; healthcare management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2013.056234

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2013 Vol.14 No.3/4, pp.383 - 404

Published online: 30 Sep 2013 *

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