Search results
1 – 10 of 189Armando Calabrese, Antonio D'Uffizi, Nathan Levialdi Ghiron, Luca Berloco, Elaheh Pourabbas and Nathan Proudlove
The primary objective of this paper is to show a systematic and methodological approach for the digitalization of critical clinical pathways (CPs) within the healthcare domain.
Abstract
Purpose
The primary objective of this paper is to show a systematic and methodological approach for the digitalization of critical clinical pathways (CPs) within the healthcare domain.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology entails the integration of service design (SD) and action research (AR) methodologies, characterized by iterative phases that systematically alternate between action and reflective processes, fostering cycles of change and learning. Within this framework, stakeholders are engaged through semi-structured interviews, while the existing and envisioned processes are delineated and represented using BPMN 2.0. These methodological steps emphasize the development of an autonomous, patient-centric web application alongside the implementation of an adaptable and patient-oriented scheduling system. Also, business processes simulation is employed to measure key performance indicators of processes and test for potential improvements. This method is implemented in the context of the CP addressing transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), within a publicly funded hospital setting.
Findings
The methodology integrating SD and AR enables the detection of pivotal bottlenecks within diagnostic CPs and proposes optimal corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted patient care, all the while advancing the digitalization of diagnostic CP management. This study contributes to theoretical discussions by emphasizing the criticality of process optimization, the transformative potential of digitalization in healthcare and the paramount importance of user-centric design principles, and offers valuable insights into healthcare management implications.
Originality/value
The study’s relevance lies in its ability to enhance healthcare practices without necessitating disruptive and resource-intensive process overhauls. This pragmatic approach aligns with the imperative for healthcare organizations to improve their operations efficiently and cost-effectively, making the study’s findings relevant.
Details
Keywords
Anja Terkamo-Moisio, Elsa Paronen, Arja Häggman-Laitila and Johanna Lammintakanen
The purpose of this study was to describe health and social care leaders’ and employees’ perceptions of remote leadership and the associated factors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe health and social care leaders’ and employees’ perceptions of remote leadership and the associated factors.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 45 leaders and 177 employees from one Finnish health and social care organization completed an electronic questionnaire between October and November 2020. The questionnaire included questions related to background information, along with structured and open-ended questions addressing remote leadership and the associated factors. The collected quantitative data was analyzed with statistical methods, while inductive content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.
Findings
Remote leadership emerged as a developing form of leadership that was part of everyday life at a regional health and social care organization. However, it was also considered by some as a distanced and authoritarian form of leadership that reduced communication to a one-way flow of information. Remote leadership and digitalization in health and social care were generally perceived positively, especially among higher educated participants and those working mainly in a remote context. However, digitalization was also perceived as a burden and remote leadership as a source of uncertainty at work, especially among lower educated participants and those who worked mainly in traditional contexts.
Originality/value
This study expands the little-researched area and provides insights that can be used to further develop remote leadership and the related education.
Details
Keywords
Mahlatse Moses Shekgola and Mpho Ngoepe
In South Africa, public institutions face challenges in transitioning their digital records to trusted digital repositories due to a deficiency in skills, infrastructure and…
Abstract
Purpose
In South Africa, public institutions face challenges in transitioning their digital records to trusted digital repositories due to a deficiency in skills, infrastructure and systems. Free and open-source software (FOSS) presents a viable solution for facilitating the transfer of digital archives for permanent preservation. Despite the existence of FOSS policy in South Africa, the public sector has yet to fully use it to engage in the development and implementation of products for records management and archive preservation using open-source software. This study aims to explore the ingestion of digital archives into an approved long-term storage system through FOSS in South Africa with the view of developing a framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a qualitative research approach to collect data through interviews with purposively selected participants (records managers, archivists and IT officials) from national government departments that have implemented records management systems for digital curation of archives, as well as the National Archives and Records Services of South Africa (NARSSA), which regulates archives and records management, and the State Information Technology Agency, which regulates information technology in government.
Findings
The findings of the study suggest that the systematic transfer of digital materials from public entities to NARSSA, as required by statute, has not taken place.
Research limitations/implications
The study specifically targeted national government departments that have implemented digital archives and records management systems. Consequently, perspectives from departments that have not implemented these solutions were excluded.
Originality/value
A framework is proposed for the transfer of digital archives, using interoperable FOSS, from government agencies responsible for records management to NARSSA for archival preservation. This framework, it is hoped, will facilitate infrastructure and skills development in the management of records and preservation of archives through open platforms.
Details
Keywords
Maria Qvarfordt, Stefan Lagrosen and Lina Nilsson
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how medical secretaries experience digital transformation in a Swedish healthcare organisation, with a focus on workplace…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how medical secretaries experience digital transformation in a Swedish healthcare organisation, with a focus on workplace climate and health.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design based on grounded theory, with qualitative data collection (a Quality Café and individual interviews) followed by quantitative data collection (a questionnaire).
Findings
Four categories with seven underlying factors were identified, emphasising the crucial need for effective organisation of digital transformation. This is vital due to the increased knowledge and skills in utilising technology. The evolving roles and responsibilities of medical secretaries in dynamic healthcare settings should be clearly defined and acknowledged, highlighting the importance of professionality. Ensuring proper training for medical secretaries and other occupations in emerging techniques is crucial, emphasising equal value and knowledge across each role. Associations were found between some factors and the health of medical secretaries.
Research limitations/implications
This study adds to the knowledge on digital transformation in healthcare by examining an important occupation. Most data were collected online, which may be a limitation of this study.
Practical implications
Several aspects of the medical secretaries’ experiences were identified. Knowledge of these is valuable for healthcare managers to make digital transformation more effective while avoiding excessive strain on medical secretaries.
Originality/value
Medical secretaries are expected to contribute to the digitalisation of healthcare. However, minimal research has been conducted on the role of medical secretaries in workplace digitalisation, focusing on workplace roles and its dynamics.
Details
Keywords
Rosalyn Marie Arnold, Danny Acton and Sujeet Jaydeokar
This study aims to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with different risk stratification levels on the Decision Support Tool for Physical Health…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with different risk stratification levels on the Decision Support Tool for Physical Health (DST-PH). The DST-PH was designed to stratify risk of avoidable mortality in adults with intellectual disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
A prospective cohort study design was used. Data, including age, gender, ethnicity and completed DST-PH assessments, was collected from adults with intellectual disabilities within an NHS trust in the North-West of England. Descriptive statistics and a risk factor analysis were used to investigate differences between those rating Red, Amber and Green on the DST-PH.
Findings
Risk factor analysis revealed key clinical indicators linked to avoidable mortality. Notably, those experiencing posture or mobility difficulties, transitions in care, an untreated or unstable mental health condition or significant behavioural problems were identified to be at significantly heightened risk of avoidable death. These findings emphasise the importance of proactively recognising and addressing these experiences, particularly posture- and mobility-related challenges, in individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is important to note this study’s findings are based on a small sample size. Therefore, further research with a larger and more diverse population is recommended to validate and expand upon these results.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which has used a risk stratification tool to investigate the clinical and demographic characteristics of individuals with intellectual disability at higher risk of avoidable mortality.
Details
Keywords
Upasana Singh, Shilpee Dasgupta and Deepak Yaduvanshi
MBA.
Abstract
Subject area of the teaching case
MBA.
Student level and proposed courses the teaching case can be used on
Master’s level in Change Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management.
A brief overview of the teaching case
Mr Sharma, the dynamic and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed Soni Manipal Hospital (SMH), Jaipur, and Unit Head, Manipal Hospitals [Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. (MHEPL)], in a meeting with SMH’s Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Nursing Management, Mr Yaduvanshi realised the exponential growth of employee resistance, their lack of skills and technological advancements for documentation hindering the hospital's transformation goal. The case study highlighted the challenges the protagonist faced when taking charge as the CEO after nine months of acquisition and the factors contributing to them.
Expected learning outcomes
Students reading this case are expected to understand leadership theories, strategic and quality management approaches, and theories of social behaviour, such as Herzberg’s two-factor theory and social exchange theory (SET) and the application of these concepts in acquired organisations to develop healthy leadership–employee relations and change management theories.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 6: Human resource management.
Details
Keywords
Nabila As’ad, Lia Patrício, Kaisa Koskela-Huotari and Bo Edvardsson
The service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this…
Abstract
Purpose
The service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this understanding by developing a typology of service ecosystem dynamics that explains the varying interplay between change and stability within the service environment through distinct behavioral patterns exhibited by service ecosystems over time.
Design/methodology/approach
This study builds upon a systematic literature review of service ecosystems literature and uses system dynamics as a method theory to abductively analyze extant literature and develop a typology of service ecosystem dynamics.
Findings
The paper identifies three types of service ecosystem dynamics—behavioral patterns of service ecosystems—and explains how they unfold through self-adjustment processes and changes within different systemic leverage points. The typology of service ecosystem dynamics consists of (1) reproduction (i.e. stable behavioral pattern), (2) reconfiguration (i.e. unstable behavioral pattern) and (3) transition (i.e. disrupting, shifting behavioral pattern).
Practical implications
The typology enables practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of their service environment by discerning the behavioral patterns exhibited by the constituent service ecosystems. This, in turn, supports them in devising more effective strategies for navigating through it.
Originality/value
The paper provides a precise definition of service ecosystem dynamics and shows how the identified three types of dynamics can be used as a lens to empirically examine change and stability in the service environment. It also offers a set of research directions for tackling service research challenges.
Details
Keywords
Christian Di Falco, Guido Noto, Carmelo Marisca and Gustavo Barresi
This article aims to provide the current state of the art of the literature on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the measurement and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to provide the current state of the art of the literature on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the measurement and management of performance in the healthcare sector. In particular, the work aims to identify current and emerging ICTs and how these relate to the performance measurement and management (PMM) cycle of healthcare organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
To address the research objective, we adopted a systematic literature review. In particular, we used the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) methodology to select articles related to the investigated topic. Based on an initial screening of 560 items retrieved from Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge, we identified and analyzed 58 articles dealing with ICTs and PMM in the healthcare sector. The last update of the dataset refers to February 2024.
Findings
Although we attempted to address a relevant topic for both research and practice, we noticed that a relatively small sample of articles directly addressed it. Through this literature review, in addition to providing descriptive statistics of research on ICTs and PMM in healthcare, we identified six theoretical clusters of scientific streams focusing on the topic and eleven categories of ICTs effectively tackled by the literature. We then provided a holistic framework to link technologies to the different PMM phases and functions.
Practical implications
Nowadays, the availability of ICTs to support healthcare organizations’ processes and services is extensive. In this context, managers at various organizational levels need to understand and evaluate how each ICT can support different activities to benefit most from their adoption. The findings of this study can offer valuable insights to top and line managers of healthcare organizations for planning their investments in both existing and emerging ICTs to support the various stages of development and functions of PMM.
Originality/value
Most of the current literature focusing on ICTs in the healthcare sector refers to the contribution that technology provides to clinical processes and services, devoting limited attention to the impact of ICTs on administrative processes, such as PMM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first literature review on the contribution of ICTs to PMM in the healthcare sector. The review, differently from other research focused on specific ICTs and/or specific PMM functions, provides a holistic perspective to understand how these technologies may support healthcare organizations and systems in measuring and managing their performance.
Details
Keywords
Nicola Cobelli and Silvia Blasi
This paper explores the Adoption of Technological Innovation (ATI) in the healthcare industry. It investigates how the literature has evolved, and what are the emerging innovation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the Adoption of Technological Innovation (ATI) in the healthcare industry. It investigates how the literature has evolved, and what are the emerging innovation dimensions in the healthcare industry adoption studies.
Design/methodology/approach
We followed a mixed-method approach combining bibliometric methods and topic modeling, with 57 papers being deeply analyzed.
Findings
Our results identify three latent topics. The first one is related to the digitalization in healthcare with a specific focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. The second one groups up the word combinations dealing with the research models and their constructs. The third one refers to the healthcare systems/professionals and their resistance to ATI.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s sample selection focused on scientific journals included in the Academic Journal Guide and in the FT Research Rank. However, the paper identifies trends that offer managerial insights for stakeholders in the healthcare industry.
Practical implications
ATI has the potential to revolutionize the health service delivery system and to decentralize services traditionally provided in hospitals or medical centers. All this would contribute to a reduction in waiting lists and the provision of proximity services.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper lies in the combination of two methods: bibliometric analysis and topic modeling. This approach allowed us to understand the ATI evolutions in the healthcare industry.
Details
Keywords
Märt Vesinurm, Inka Sylgren, Annika Bengts, Paulus Torkki and Paul Lillrank
This article aims to clarify the concepts used to understand, analyze and improve a patient’s progress through a health service system. A patient pathway describes plans and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to clarify the concepts used to understand, analyze and improve a patient’s progress through a health service system. A patient pathway describes plans and intentions. Within it, we distinguish between the clinical pathway of decisions and interventions and the care pathway of supportive activities. As a patient pathway is implemented, it turns into a patient journey of what is done, what happens to a patient’s medical condition and what is experienced and felt. We introduce “patient journey disruption” (PJD) as a concept describing the events that need to be prevented from happening to accomplish integrated, coordinated and seamless care.
Design/methodology/approach
The method used in this paper is concept analysis. First, an expert steering group worked to refine the concept of PJDs; second, an analysis of similar concepts from related fields was done to root the concept into existing theories, and third, semi-structured interviews with professionals and patients were done to test the concept of PJDs in the home care context.
Findings
PJDs are agency-based harmful events in the execution of the care pathway that deviate the patient journey from what can be reasonably expected. PJDs are management failures, which is why they should be studied by healthcare operations management (HOM) and service science scholars with the intention to find ways to prevent them from happening.
Research limitations/implications
This study has limitations, including presenting conceptual ideas and preliminary results that are only indicative.
Practical implications
We believe that the introduction of the concept of PJDs into the literature provides a new, systematic way of approaching the different shortcomings in our healthcare production systems. Moreover, by systematically identifying different PJDs, interventions can be designed and targeted more appropriately.
Originality/value
Managerial challenges regarding healthcare processes have been studied but have not been well defined. The concept of PJDs is an original, well-thought-out definition.
Details