Patient relationship management: an overview and study of a follow-up system.

Customer relationship management research is utilized to explain the need for a more patient-oriented support in patient care. This article presents a European study on how various hospital units of a single healthcare organization have utilized a patient relationship management system--in particular a patient treatment follow-up system--and how it affects patient care and the knowledge work performed by the medical staff. Eight physicians were interviewed at a university hospital on whether patient treatment was improved through a follow-up system that had been in use in the case organization for three years.