How do quality improvement, lean practices, knowledge management and digitalization in the healthcare industry affect patient satisfaction?

Abstract

The increasing importance attributed to patient satisfaction in healthcare institutions over recent years has given rise to considerable reflection on the strategies implemented to achieve this purpose. The convergence of Lean philosophies and digitalization emerges as a promising means to promote a sustainable increase in patient satisfaction. In this context, this dissertation aims to thoroughly analyze the impact of implementing Lean principles and digitalization in Portuguese Health Centers on patient satisfaction. Despite the extensive analysis dedicated to the Lean methodology in Portuguese healthcare institutions, there is a notable lack of information about the implementation of digitalization in these contexts and its impact on the patient experience. This study, therefore, aims to fill this gap by providing a significant contribution to future research by exploring the benefits, disadvantages, and obstacles underlying the adoption of digitalization in healthcare centers. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire is designed as a fundamental instrument for this research. This instrument encompasses questions strategically formulated to probe the perceptions of Health Center users concerning the topics covered. Through this approach, we seek to discern the advantages and disadvantages of these implementations, as well as identify demographic groups that react more favorably or unfavorably to such transformations.

Date of Award	12 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Aydin Teymourifar (Supervisor)