Exploring Value Co-Creation Processes and Patient Experience in Oncology Care: A Qualitative Study in Indonesia Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Cancer remains a major global health challenge that imposes significant clinical, psychological, and socioeconomic burdens on patients and their families. Within the value-based healthcare framework, value co-creation highlights the active role of patients in generating value through interactions with healthcare professionals and health systems. However, evidence regarding how value co-creation influences patient experience in oncology care, particularly within low- and middle-income healthcare settings, remains limited. This study aimed to explore how value co-creation influences patient experience in oncology care. This study used a qualitative case study design. The study was conducted from November 2025 to February 2026 in the oncology unit of a tertiary referral hospital in Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using interview guidelines with 35 participants, including physicians, nurses, hospital management staff, cancer patients, and family caregivers selected through purposive sampling. Atlas.ti was used for thematic analysis of the data. This project has been granted ethical approval under license number 218/EA/KEPK-FKM/2025. Three interrelated themes emerged from the analysis: value co-creation in oncology care, patient behavior in treatment, and organizational culture. Value co-creation involved communication, multidisciplinary collaboration, patient engagement, family support, social support, and spiritual support. Patient behavior reflected treatment adherence and decision-making processes, while organizational culture influenced service delivery and workforce coordination. Patient experience was identified as the overall outcome shaped by interactions between relational practices, patient engagement, and organizational context. Value co-creation plays an important role in shaping patient experience in oncology care through dynamic interactions among healthcare providers, patients, families, and organizational systems. Strengthening collaborative relationships, promoting patient engagement, and fostering supportive organizational cultures may contribute to improving patient experiences and achieving more patient-centered oncology care.