Customer value creation in the development of digital health services: discourse analysis

Authors

• Paula Vieresjoki Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
• Laura Kämäräinen Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
• Elina Laukka Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
• Marjo Suhonen Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
• Outi Kanste Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23996/fjhw.101343

Keywords:

telemedicine, value creation, health services [http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p3307]

Abstract

The study’s aim was to describe how customer value creation is reflected in the development of digital health services. To this end, we used discourse analysis to evaluate documentation from the ODA (Self-Treatment and Digital Value Services) project, which provides national-scale digital health services.

Three main discourses emerged: 1) a discourse on the active role of the customer, 2) a discourse on technology that activates the customer to create value, and 3) a discourse on the benefits of customer value creation.

The research provided new insight into customer value creation in digital health service development. Speech about customer value creation was a part of the social reality of the digital health service’s development. The customer appeared as an active player and a key resource within the service. The role of the active customer was considered demanding and responsible. Our findings suggest that the new digital service changed customer behavior, with technology acting as an enabler of this change. Customer activity and information sharing were seen as enablers of value creation and the associated benefits, and there was a willingness to strengthen the customer’s role as a need determiner.