Toward A Healthcare Services Ecosystem

dc.contributor.authorDavis, Zachary Edwarden
dc.contributor.committeechairKhansa, Lara Z.en
dc.contributor.committeememberAbrahams, Alan Samuelen
dc.contributor.committeememberWang, Gang Alanen
dc.contributor.committeememberRagsdale, Cliff T.en
dc.contributor.committeememberZobel, Christopher W.en
dc.contributor.departmentManagementen
dc.date.accessioned2018-04-19T14:58:14Zen
dc.date.available2018-04-19T14:58:14Zen
dc.date.issued2018-04-18en
dc.description.abstractThis research examines the healthcare services ecosystem and the impact and role service interventions made by providers and patients have on this ecosystem. Each area has an important role in contributing to the value and sustainability of the ecosystem. Healthcare, as a community service, requires a minimum of two counterparts: the providers and the customers, in this case the patients. Healthcare is a unique ecosystem because often the customers are not conscious of the interplay of the ecosystem but are reliant upon the system for their health and wellbeing. The first section of this dissertation examines the effects that occur in the healthcare ecosystem when part of the system experiences a disaster and the impact and role of other areas of the system in response to the disaster, particularly regarding the resilience. Similar to a biological ecosystem that is undergoing a flood, in the healthcare services ecosystem if too many patients present to the Emergency Department (ED) at the same time disaster level overcrowding will occur. We aim to measure the resilience of the healthcare ecosystem to this disaster level overcrowding. The second section of this dissertation examines how the components of the healthcare ecosystem maintain sustainability and usability. Healthcare professionals are assessed regarding their ability to maintain the healthcare ecosystem, with a specific focus on what occurs after patients are in the hospital system. To examine the ability of the healthcare professionals to maintain the ecosystem we analyze the usability and adaptability of the electronic health record and the professional's workflows to determine how they use this tool to sustain the healthcare ecosystem. The third section of this dissertation examines patient self-management and the influence this has on the healthcare ecosystem. Much of the management of health in patients, particularly those with chronic illnesses, occurs outside of the hospital, thus examining this aspect of self-care provides insight on the overall system. This research examines patients with a chronic illness and their use of online health communities, with a particular focus on their reciprocal behaviors and the impact this support system has on their overall health state. By examining these aspects of the healthcare services ecosystem, we can better improve our understanding of these phenomena.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:14610en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/82853en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectHealthcareen
dc.subjectResilienceen
dc.subjectAnalyticsen
dc.subjectUsabilityen
dc.titleToward A Healthcare Services Ecosystemen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineBusiness, Business Information Technologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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