Structural investigation of a healthcare value chain: A social network analysis approach

Abstract

Service supply chains consist of peoples and organizations connected in the form of a network. A system of interconnected organizations can be modeled as a network rather than a chain. In this paper a case study on structural investigation of a healthcare value chain has been discussed and important theoretical analysis is presented for an effective decision making. Social network analysis has been used to calculate the various node level and network characteristics of the chain. The node level measures describes the role of each organization in the network whereas, the network level measures helps in interpreting the network structure as a whole. The proposed approach in the paper will provide a pictorial interpretation of a value chain to the managers and healthcare professionals in capturing the dynamics and uncertainties associated with healthcare value networks.