The Role of Collaborative Healthcare in Improving Social Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Healthcare systems around the world face both increasing demands and inequality in service distribution. The current trend is for collaboration among healthcare actors, named as collaborative healthcare, in order to address challenges such as these to improve the social sustainability of the system. That is to provide accessible and equitable healthcare services to meet people's health and well-being needs. Based on an integrative literature review, this study aims at crafting a conceptual framework to explore how collaborative healthcare networks contribute to social sustainability and the specific actors involved in these collaborations. It identifies relationships between different collaborative healthcare networks and social sustainability. Interprofessional networks have been the most studied in relation to social sustainability. Communication and sharing information or knowledge have been identified as used collaborative healthcare practices. This study contributes theoretically by considering a new model of the healthcare organization in which collaborative networks play a central role in improving social sustainability. In terms of practical implications, the study provides managers and policy makers with investment insights on a range of collaborative networks and practices.

Sustainability and Kaizen: Business Model Trends in Healthcare

“…Currently, little research exists surrounding the organizational factors that contribute to the development of social sustainability-oriented healthcare systems. It is crucial, therefore, that more studies are not only conducted to investigate appropriate healthcare models which embed those principles, and which aim to provide services to promote, restore, and improve the health indicators of the population, but also that they do so within the context of facing unfair distribution of resources as well as increasing healthcare demands [72].…”

“…Kaizen has a demonstrated facility in connection with objectives like sustainability, but academic research interest to date has focused on other benefits such as: cost reduction, process improvements, time savings, reduced queuing, investment savings, reduced wasted medication, improved patient admission time, reduced average time to first appointment, etc. [39,72,73].…”

Rethinking Developed Nations’ Health Systems through A Social Sustainability Perspective in the Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic. A Viewpoint

“… 16 , 17 Furthermore, a sustainable health system needs to be understood in terms of three important elements: i) accessibility for each individual; ii) mutual acceptance between patients and the nursing, medical and administrative staff; and iii) adaptability, as health systems need to be able to adapt to the socio-economic and demographic changes, to new illnesses, and to scientific discoveries and dynamic technologies needed to remain viable. 16 , 17…”

“…15,16 Health systems sustainability involves a system maintaining itself and constantly adapting to a changing social, economic and environmental context, making sure that limited resources (physical, financial and human) are being used efficiently and responsibly in order to permanently maintain or improve the health and wellbeing of the population as a whole and of each individual. 16,17 Furthermore, a sustainable health system needs to be understood in terms of three important elements: i) accessibility for each individual; ii) mutual acceptance between patients and the nursing, medical and administrative staff; and iii) adaptability, as health systems need to be able to adapt to the socio-economic and demographic changes, to new illnesses, and to scientific discoveries and dynamic technologies needed to remain viable. 16,17 A socially sustainable health care system is one that mobilizes and allocates sufficient, and appropriate, resources (human resources, technology, information and finance) for activities that meet individual and public health needs.…”

“…16,17 Furthermore, a sustainable health system needs to be understood in terms of three important elements: i) accessibility for each individual; ii) mutual acceptance between patients and the nursing, medical and administrative staff; and iii) adaptability, as health systems need to be able to adapt to the socio-economic and demographic changes, to new illnesses, and to scientific discoveries and dynamic technologies needed to remain viable. 16,17 A socially sustainable health care system is one that mobilizes and allocates sufficient, and appropriate, resources (human resources, technology, information and finance) for activities that meet individual and public health needs. In delivering services, health care organizations need to operate in a way that takes into consideration the priorities of their stakeholders and partners so that they can achieve their organizational goals, which is an essential component of being a socially responsible entity.…”