The trends of patient engagement in a co-production healthcare services: a insights from a bibliometric analysis.

Purpose: Co-production improves the quality of healthcare services by prioritizing patient-centred care and ensuring optimal implementation. Current patient participation research have primarily concentrated on the co-production stages, despite patient participation being the central emphasis of its implementation. A study conducted analysed four specific attributes of patient participation, with patient engagement specifically emphasizing the interactions between patients and healthcare workers. Several studies have concluded that the interaction between the two actors is inefficient. This article examines current study trends concerning patient participation and identifies knowledge gaps from these studies.

Design/methodology/approach: This study used bibliometric analysis. This study used VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis. The Scopus database contained 398 publications about patient participation in co-production in healthcare, which served as the basis for the analysis.

Findings: The study on patient engagement in a co-production context for healthcare had grown fast in recent years. Patient-centred approach and patient-centred care were two important things in patient engagement. Several factors influenced the implementation of patient engagement: attitude, ability, awareness, responsibility and knowledge. It is still uncommon to do research on the measurement of output and results from patient engagement implementation. Studies on instruments for measuring these two factors, particularly in a quantitative manner, are still few.

Research limitations/implications: Various recommendations have been put forward for additional investigation. Firstly, further examination of outcome measurement in patient engagement is necessary, given the lack of decisive instruments available. Secondly, examining the most influential factors on patient engagement in co-production in healthcare. Thirdly, a more thorough analysis is needed regarding the dimensions of co-production, considering that some dimensions overlap, such as the activation and empowerment dimensions, which are really carried out during engagement. The researcher acknowledges the inherent limitations of bibliometric studies, including the dependence on the Scopus databases for extracting data and the choice of search phrases. Furthermore, conducting a systematic literature review may be necessary to thoroughly examine and delineate the research topics, methodologies and outcomes of this study.

Originality/value: This study updates us on patient engagement study trends and establishes a framework for implementing patient engagement in healthcare services.