Digital Transformation Management in Health Services: Health Professionals Perceptions as an Implementation Factor
Main Article Content
Keywords
Digital transformation,, Health service management, Healthcare services, Healthcare professional’s perceptions, Implementation factors
Abstract
Background and Objective: The explosion of new digital technologies is fundamentally disrupting the world as it has been perceived until now, transforming it multilevel and at an unprecedented speed. At the same time, with traditional way of providing health services, their quality and scale cannot meet user’s needs and expectations. Within this context of constant search for improved quality, the path of health services towards a digital and value-based transformation is now a one-way street, with drastic and immediate effects that are capable of disrupting the sector and making them sustainable. The most defining issue is how an organization adapts its organizational culture, strategy, leadership and mostly prepare the stuff to operate effectively in a digital world, adding value to users and sustaining prosperity. The main goal of this study was to investigate the perceptions of health professionals regarding the usability and ease of use of digital transformation applications.
Material and Methods: To investigate the aim of the study, the USE Questionnaire was used. It was distributed completely paperless, exclusively through Google forms. For better common understanding, we edited an auxiliary video and embedded it in the Google form, to be watched before starting answering it. Our sample was healthcare professionals who worked in various Hospitals and health providers in Northern Greece.
Results: Age appears to have a greater influence on health professional self-efficacy. Regardless of specialty, they show positive perceptions of both the usefulness and ease of use and learning of digital applications. Those with a lower level of education showed a higher perceived ease of use and learning, as well as their usefulness than expected.
Conclusion: The acceptance of digital transformation in healthcare professionals is based on understanding the concerns and feelings of insecurity that overwhelm healthcare professionals. Our findings can help us in better understanding the factors that influence their adoption of new digital technologies. Likely, this will help us to reduce the time required to make all the structural changes that are necessary, but also to guide us properly for the best use of our already limited available resources. As people accept change at different rates, there is no time for delay and their preparation should begin immediately.
Downloads
Abstract 1577 | PDF Downloads 408
References
2. Hobcraft, P., Exploring Digital Transformation. HYPE. Available online: https://www.hypeinnovation.com/hubfs/content/reports/exploring-digital-transfor-mation.pdf.
3. Walsh, M.N., and Rumsfeld, J.S. Leading the digital transformation of healthcare: The ACC innovation strategy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017;70(21):719–2722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.10.020.
4. Topol, E. Preparing the healthcare workforce to deliver the digital future. Available online: https://topol.hee.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/HEE-Topol-Review-2019.pdf.
5. Mossialos, E., and Le Grand, J. Health care and cost containment in the European Union. Routledge: London, UK, 2020.
6. Tountas, Y., Kyriopoulos, J., Lionis, C., et al. The new NHS: the rebuilding of the National Health System (in Greek). DIANEOSIS. Available online: https://www.dianeosis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/greek_health_system_v17092020.pdf.
7. Lomba, N., Jancova, L.,Femandes, M. Digital transformation: Cost of Non-Europe. Available online: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2022/699475/EPRS_STU(2022)699475_EN.pdf.
8. Mirković, V., Lukić, J., Lazarević, S., et al. Key characteristics of the organizational structure that supports digital transformation. In Proceedings of the 24th International Scientific Conference Strategic Management and Decision Support Systems in Strategic Management. Subotica, Serbia, 17–18 May, 2024. https://doi.org/10.46541/978-86-7233-380-0_46.
9. Chirkunova, E.K., Khmeleva, G.A., Koroleva, E.N., et al. Regional Digital Maturity: Design and Strategies. In International Scientific Conference “Digital Transformation of the Economy: Challenges, Trends, New Opportunities”. Samara, Russia; 26–27 April, 2019; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2019, pp. 205–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27015-5_26.
10. Sturt, J., Huxley, C., Ajana, B., et al. How does the use of digital consulting change the meaning of being a patient and/or a health professional? Lessons from the Long-term Conditions Young People Networked Communication study. Digit Health. 2020;6:2055207620942359. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055207620942359.
11. Bendor-Samuel, P. Digital transformation: 3 change management mistakes to avoid. The Enterprisers Project. Available online: https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/10/digital-transformation-3-change-management-mistakes.
12. Eriksson, N. Hospital management from a high reliability organizational change perspective: A Swedish case on Lean and Six Sigma. Int J Public Sect Ma. 2017;30(1):67–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-12-2015-0221.
13. Dror, N. CIOs, Here’s How to Plan Digital Transformation. Oracle University Blog. Available online: https://blogs.oracle.com/oracleuniversity/planning-digital-transformation.
14. Kreutzer, R.T., Neugebauer, T., Pattloch, A. Digital busi-ness leadership. Springer: Berlin, Germany; 2018. Available online: https://content.e-bookshelf.de/media/reading/L-11079574-afba41d34e.pdf.
15. Lund, A.M. Measuring usability with the USE questionnaire. Usability Interface. 2001;8(2):3–6. Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230786746_Measuring_Usability_with_the_USE_Questionnaire.
16. Brown, J.D. Likert items and scales of measurement. Statistics. 2011;15(1):10–14. Available online: https://www.ders.es/likert.pdf.
17. Boone, H.N., Jr. and Boone, D.A. Analyzing Likert Data. J Ext. 2012;50(2):5. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.50.02.48.
18. Lantz, B. Equidistance of Likert-Type Scales and Validation of Inferential Methods Using Experiments and Simulations. Electron. J. Bus. Res. Methods. 2013;11(1):13. Available online: https://academic-publishing.org/index.php/ejbrm/article/view/1299/1262.
19. Sullivan, G.M. and Artino, A.R. Analyzing and Interpreting Data From Likert-Type Scales. J Grad Med Educ, 2013;5(4):541–542. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-5-4-18.
20. Dunnett, C.W. Pairwise Multiple Comparisons in the Homogeneous Variance, Unequal Sample Size Case. J Am Stat Assoc. 1980;75(372):789–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1980.10477551.
21. Frennert, S. Lost in digitalization? Municipality employment of welfare technologies. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2018;14(6):635–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1496362.
22. Probst, L., Pedersen, B., Unlu Bohn, N., et al. Skills for Smart Industrial Specialisation and Digital Transformation. European Commission. Available online: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/21a549e7-05c8-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF.
23. De Leeuw, J.A., Woltjer, H., Kool, R.B. Identification of Factors Influencing the Adoption of Health Informa-tion Technology by Nurses Who Are Digitally Lagging: In-Depth Interview Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(8):e15630. https://doi.org/10.2196/15630.
24. Agbenyo, J.S. A Review of Factors that Increases or Reduces the Adoption of mHealth. Int J Res Sci Innov. 2019;VI(XII). Available online: https://rsisinterna-tional.org/journals/ijrsi/digital-library/volume-6-issue-12/139-147.pdf.
25. Abejirinde, I-O.O., Ilozumba, O., Marchal, B., et al. Mobile health and the performance of maternal health care workers in low- and middle-income countries: A realist review. Int. J. Care Coord. 2018;21(3):73–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053434518779491.
26. Safi, S., Thiessen, T., Schmailzl, K.J. Acceptance and Resistance of New Digital Technologies in Medicine: Qualitative Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2018;7(12):e11072. https://doi.org/10.2196/11072.
27. Gastaldi, L., Radaelli, G., Lettieri, E., et al. Professionals’ use of ICT in hospitals: The interplay between institutional and rational factors. Int. J. Technol Manag. 2019;80(1–2):22. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.2019.099768.
28. Nielsen, J.A., Noesgaard, M.S., Jensen, T. B., et al. Explor-ing Contagion in Digital Innovation-A Virus Perspec-tive. Acad. Manag. Proc. 2020;(1):13199. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.13199abstract.
29. Tabrizi, B., Lam, E., Girard, K., et al. Digital transformation is not about technology. Harvard Bus Rev. 2019. Available online: https://hbr.org/2019/03/digital-transformation-is-not-about-technology.
30. Baudin, K., Gustafsson, C., Frennert, S. Views of Swedish Elder Care Personnel on Ongoing Digital Transformation: Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res.2020;22(6):e15450. https://doi.org/10.2196/15450.
31. Biruk, S., Yilma, T., Andualem, M., et al. Health Professionals’ readiness to implement electronic medical record system at three hospitals in Ethiopia: A cross sectional study. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2014;14(1):115. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-014-0115-5.
32. McGinn, C.A., Gagnon, M.-P., Shaw, N., et al. Users’ perspectives of key factors to implementing electronic health records in Canada: A Delphi study. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2012;12(1):105. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-12-105.
33. Ricciardi, W. Assessing the impact of digital transformation of health services: Opinion by the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (EXPH) Walter Ricciardi. Eur. J. Public Health. 2019;29(Supplement_4):ckz185.769. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.769.
34. Topol, E. The Topol Review: Preparing the healthcare workforce to deliver the digital future. 2019. Available online: https://topol.hee.nhs.uk/.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author(s) must obtain all parties consent [co-author(s), others if applicable] and submit the acceptance of Copyright Agreement with their paper. Written permission must be obtained by the author for material that has been published in copyrighted material; this includes tables, figures, and quoted text that exceeds 150 words. A copy of all permissions must accompany the manuscript when published in copyrighted material. The author(s) hereby represents and warrants that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. Author(s) must clearly indicate that approval for publication has been received in cases of institutional ownership.
In all submitted material authors retain all copyrights; however, the GlobalCE Journal reserve the right to reprint all or portions of the article and to post all or part of the article online. GlobalCE Journal reserves the right to edit manuscripts as required to publish in the journal. Authors are responsible for obtaining any and all clearances as appropriate. Unless stated otherwise, all articles are open-access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and original work (e.g. first published in the Global Clinical Engineering Journal) is properly cited with the original URL and bibliographic citation information. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on www.Globalce.org well as the copyright and license information must be included. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
