Conceptual design of an e‐health strategy for the Spanish health care system

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the design and development of an e‐health strategy for the Spanish health care system. Using quality function deployment and benchmarking analysis as an analytical model, a strategy in e‐health care is proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

This article uses the case of a Spanish community to build a general framework for e‐health system development. Based on a multi‐disciplinary literature, and the specific needs of a community, the process of e‐health system development is analyzed and reduced into a series of phases that form an integrated method. Best practice managerial techniques are adapted to the healthcare industry and the inter‐relationships between them are mapped in a theoretical model that results in the desired outcomes.

Findings

This analysis produces a road‐map to e‐health system development consisting of several phases: analysis of the current situation of the system and determination of objectives; collection and analysis of customer expectations; development of an action plan through cross‐evaluation of customer and system needs; cost and strategic analyses; and evaluation and control systems. Managerial implications are provided.

Originality/value

The strategy proposed in this article is a prototype and an ongoing study in the Castilla‐La Mancha community.

Citation

González, M.E., Quesada, G., Urrutia, I. and Gavidia, J.V. (2006), "Conceptual design of an e‐health strategy for the Spanish health care system", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 146-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526860610651681