Telemedicine co‐design and value co‐creation in public health care

Abstract

Abstract COVID‐19 has presented significant challenges for public healthcare systems across the globe. The critical challenge for public healthcare organisations is to provide effective health care to patients, while simultaneously keeping frontline staff safe. Telemedicine has emerged as a prominent service intervention to this end. Telemedicine integrates technologies into medical practices to alleviate the need for face‐to‐face interactions through video consultations. The study explores how physicians and patients can, together, co‐create service value both within the telemedicine ecosystem and under crisis. Secondary qualitative data from physicians and patients active on Twitter and from across multiple countries are used to this end. Thematic analysis reveals seven themes that inform a new integrative telemedicine value co‐creation framework, which provides a platform for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable telemedicine services. The study provides a new understanding of the service triad ‒ telemedicine co‐design, value co‐creation, and service improvement ‒ highlighting the roles of co‐design and value co‐creation for public health care under crises.