Exploring patient perceived intimacy in healthscape : the case of plastic surgery department at the CHU of Liège.

Abstract

The contemporary challenges faced by the healthcare industry shaped their strategies to sustain in the future. First, for some years, the consumption of healthcare services has been evolving. Patients initiate a consumeristic approach, demonstrating higher expectations regarding their care as it requires a deep commitment on a personal or economic level. Hospitals need to stay competitive and in light of this new trend, they must adopt a patient-centered approach to cope with their needs and requirements. These adaptations are linked with the physical environment of the hospital which has to correspond to patients’ standards as they contribute to the evaluation of the facility. In regards to this context, this study intends to draw the basis of the influence of these physical elements on patients and more precisely on their perceived intimacy. This concept has been acknowledged to allow satisfaction, loyalty, re-patronage, willingness to recommend or to return behaviors. Therefore, hospitals need to enlarge their view on how patients build their intimacy. To address this problematic, patients were involved through interviews that allow them to share freely their feelings and thoughts toward the physical environment and their perception of intimacy. Eleven participants were selected among patients that underwent plastic surgery interventions at the CHU of Liège.

The findings taught us that their perceived intimacy relies on the notions of respect, privacy and discretion. In the literature, researchers discovered that the two main components influencing the perceived intimacy were tangible (physical environment) and intangible (interpersonal aspects). Whereas, even if patients mentioned physical features in this purpose, it appears that the intangible elements are the most powerful ones, at least when going through surgical interventions. Thanks to their testimonies and the literature, we were able to formulate several recommendations concerning the physical environment which would foster the perceived intimacy of the concerned patients: providing a calm and cozy atmosphere with the adapted furnishings and arrangements and allowing them to feel preserved from the regard of external people thanks to dedicated places during their stay. These changes would be beneficial to ensure the best possible experience for these patients, on their way to a new life.