Viewing hospitality from an interdisciplinary lens: a systematic review of 30-year research on hospitality in health care

Purpose

This study aims to examine the conceptual and empirical operations of hospitality at its intersections with health care, which includes medical and senior care.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a systematic review of literature on hospitality in health care published in hospitality, tourism and leisure journals spanning from 1990 to 2023. A total of 50 studies meeting the inclusion criteria are reviewed, providing insights into how hospitality is conceptualized, its practical implementation and the proposed outcomes in health-care settings.

Findings

Hospitality in health care is conceptualized by hospitality scholars in three main ways: as service functions, as a service exchange and as an organizational culture. There is a significant overlap between the notion of hospitality and the concept of person-centered care in gerontology and health-care literature. Also, hospitality contributes positively to patient/resident experiences, organizational performance and societal impacts.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by its focus solely on the theoretical and practical aspects of hospitality in health care within hospitality, tourism and leisure journals, excluding relevant literature from gerontological and health-care journals.

Originality/value

Interdisciplinary research requires scholars from different disciplines to develop a common language and understanding of key concepts. This study presents the conceptual and practical domains of hospitality and its relevancy to health-care research and offers future directions to strengthen the interdisciplinary research between hospitality, health care and gerontology.