Stakeholder involvement transcends boundaries in university hospitals

Abstract

The view of a university hospital on its stakeholders and its reputation through the lenses of stakeholders are important factors for its position in highly competitive health care fields. Knowledge and emotions of stakeholders influence trust and confidence in a hospital. The values, a university hospital is convincingly cherished for, are mirrored in its reputation. Cologne University Hospital differentiates 12 stakeholder groups as co-creators of values - among them patients, employees, referrers, the science community, politicians and the broader public. All stakeholders need to be involved by a university hospital in a systematic way, and profound knowledge about the determinants of reputation is useful.