Service design in health care: digital service concept for reducing heavy alcohol consumption

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to develop a new service concept for the early individual level intervention of heavy or risky alcohol consumption in health care setting. The concept that was developed is called ‘Hyvis’. It provides a technology based, virtual and interactive environment for those who want to reduce their alcohol consumption. By incremental, easy to follow step-by-step process, customers are able to reduce their consumption of alcohol. Hyvis makes it easy by enabling users to relate to others in similar situations. One is able to decide the activities to engage to, consult an expert and decide how the persuasive service supports them.

In theoretical part for achieving understanding, alcohol related information, health promotion theories and service and customer dominant logic were the main themes relevant for this thesis with a constructive research approach. Service design methods were applied, and the chosen methods were The Five Whys, Customer Journeys of Mini-intervention, Self-help program, Expert lead virtual program, Iterative concept and individual service concepts. Due to sensitivity of the issue, design sessions were kept individually instead of group form.

By the service design process (exploration, creation, reflection) four critical phases related to early intervention of risky or heavy alcohol consumption services were detected; Opportunity, access, experience and usability. These themes emerged from unawareness of existing services, perceived challenges of accessing services, the wish to avoid unnecessary emotions related to stigma effect and the lack of social support in the early phase, before any addiction has been formed. Expectations towards services were portrayed as Customer Journeys. The discovered critical phases were taken into account in the construction of Hyvis.

It would be strategically wise to intervene heavy or risky alcohol consumption, considering the relative effortlessness compared to a situation where an addiction has been already formed and the effort is vast compared to the expected outcomes. However more services could be developed and be available for the public in the early phase, when heavy consumption is the issue and moderate consumption is the goal, not total abstinence as in addiction. Also health care staff’s capabilities of utilising health care service networks should be strengthened. This would require attitude chance enabled by increased understanding of customer oriented thinking, where all actions should have customer emphasis, which should comprehend the whole service ecosystem, not only own organisation as single piece. Also the possibilities of seeing customers as resources could contribute to better services as peer support in the form co-production in social networks. Such actions are also supported by the social cognitive therapy and system persuasion, which understands individual’s social surroundings as fundamental part of learning process in behaviour change.

From health promotion perspective service design is able to empower customers as co-designers and developers by detaching them from the unequal power positioning of professional and customer, not needing to worry how their comments might affect their care. Service design and customer dominant logic combined with resource based health definition provide good premises for developing health care services and increasing functional quality by the experience from this research. Providing such information enables customer have information to base their choices to.

Keywords: Alcohol, intervention, health promotion, service design, service concept