Exploring "patient-centered" hospitals: a systematic review to understand change

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Transformation
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Developed countries face evolving healthcare demands with multi-pathological chronic conditions and increased patient expectations.
• Financial pressures necessitate healthcare organizations to enhance services with limited resources.
• Hospitals are undergoing radical transformations in organization and staff engagement to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and label trends in hospital transformation within developed economies.
• To understand common change drivers and innovative organizational models.
• To synthesize knowledge on effective implementation of organizational change through managerial tools.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review.
• Engaged research approach.
• Integration of literature review with broader research.

Main Results:

• Progressive patient care, patient-centered approach, and lean approach are key pillars of change.
• Gaps exist in understanding how to leverage change drivers and their effects.
• Current literature focuses on isolated experiences rather than organizational-level analysis.

Conclusions:

• Literature analysis is concentrated on limited experiences, hindering generalization.
• Significant gaps remain in knowledge regarding the exploitation of change drivers.
• Existing research approaches inadequately guide policymakers and management in implementing new organizational models effectively.