This book examines the nature of service design and service thinking in healthcare and hospital management. By adopting both a service-based provider perspective and a consumer-oriented perspective, the book highlights various healthcare services, methods and tools that are desirable for customers and effective for healthcare providers. In addition, readers will learn about new research directions, as well as strategies and innovations to develop service solutions that are affordable, sustainable, and consumer-oriented. Lastly, the book discusses policy options to improve the service delivery process and customer satisfaction in the healthcare and hospital sector.

The contributors cover various aspects and fields of application of service design and service thinking, including service design processes, tools and methods; service blueprints and service delivery; creation and implementation of services; interaction design and user experience; design of service touchpoints and service interfaces; service excellence and service innovation. The book will appeal to all scholars and practitioners in the hospital and healthcare sector who are interested in organizational development, service business model innovation, customer involvement and perceptions, and service experience.

Mario A. Pfannstiel is a researcher and lecturer in the field of hospital and healthcare management at the University of Applied Sciences in Neu-Ulm, Germany. He holds a PhD from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics of the University of Potsdam, a diploma in Social Management with a focus on Finance Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Nordhausen, an MSc degree in Patient Management from Dresden International University and an MA in Healthcare and Social Facilities Management from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and the University of Witten/Herdecke. He worked as an executive assistant to the medical director at the Heart Centre Leipzig in Germany. At the University of Bayreuth he worked as a research associate at the Department of Strategic Management and Organization. Pfannstiel's research includes numerous articles, journals and books on management in the healthcare and hospital industry (Service Business Model Innovation in Healthcare and Hospital Management, 2017, Springer with Christoph Rasche). His current research interests focus on service management, digitalization of services, service business model innovation, service design, service thinking and innovative services.