Resumo

The Service Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) represents a new paradigm, placing service as the basic structure of exchange between actors (Vargo and Lusch, 2004; 2008). According to the authors, It’s origin is associated with the development of studies on the Value Co-creation (VCC), especially associated with dynamic ecosystems that enable the exchange and sharing of services among its actors.

Frow et al., (2016) established a typology of co-creation practices providing measures to assist managers in monitoring their performance, determining the impact of Service Dominat Logic and co-creation practices on relationships. The measures proposed are useful in guiding the extent and direction of given changes to the ecosystem, adopting a more patient-centered approach in healthcare.

The measures of co-creation practices (CP) proposed by Frow et al., (2016) have fostered a new research agenda. Still, gaps have been identified in the literature, and include evaluating the application of the typology in a set of studies that have used it qualitatively and its application in real healthcare service delivery situations, analyzing the innovative impacts of these practices at the meso (patient referral) and micro (host service management) levels of the ecosystems analyzed.

This paper analyzed the relationship between the Service Dominant Logic and Value Co-creation, expressed by a typology shaping Health Service Ecosystems of Brazilian Higher Education Institutions that provide free health services to the community. Gaps were identified in the literature, namely, linking the application of the typology to a set of studies that addressed it in a qualitative research carried out in concrete situations and analyzing the typology in real situations in Higher Education Institutions that provide healthcare services.

The results confirmed the existence of relationships between the Service Dominant Logic and the Value Co-creation from the perspective of the actors and expressed by the typology. These relationships shape and explain Practices of Value Co-creation that emerge from the networks of relationships between the actors. These practices emerge through the provision and use of services, which characterize as Ecosystems of Health Services the services provided by the institutions.

This work reports a novel management conception in healthcare management that includes the active and co-creative participation of the actors in the process of sharing services and knowledge, including knowledge sharing practice that flows from the user to the professionals.