Managing Health(-Care Systems) Using Information Health Technologies

Abstract

This study aims to compare and contrast how specific information health technologies (IHTs) have been debated, how they have proliferated, and what they have enabled in Germany’s and England’s healthcare systems. For this a discourse analysis was undertaken that specifically focussed on future-scenarios articulated in policy documents and strategy papers released by relevant actors from both healthcare systems. The study reveals that the way IHTs have been debated and how they have proliferated depends on country-specific regulatory structures, their respective values, actors’ and institutions’ organized interests, and the status of health professionals. These conditions have enabled IHTs to promote a new and similar concept of patienthood in both countries, although they tend to affect practitioners’ practices more dramatically in England. The conclusion is drawn that with the usage of IHTs, healthcare systems reproduced existing patterns of health provision while also enabling a sort of convergence. Future research should investigate whether the new concept of patienthood emerging in both welfare states actually suits patients and professionals needs and requirements.

Transforming healthcare: policy discourses of IT and patient-centred care

“…Discourse is historically situated (Iedema, 2007, p. 931) and constructed in a particular context (Fairclough & Wodak, 1997, p. 277). Thus, the way IT in health are debated and adopted depends on country-specific regulatory structures, their respective values, actors' organized interests, the status of health professionals (Mathar, 2011) and other resources they can draw on, as well as user practices (as depicted in Figure 1). Actors can include organizations, groups and individuals.…”

Regulation and Use of Health Information Systems in Brazil and Abroad

“…The high decentralization of the health system in Germany outlined a scenario of greater difficulty in the implementation of health information technologies when compared with the English context 13 . Regarding the development of health information systems, considering the need for the health professionals to accept and adhere to their use, the study from Portugal showed that the participatory design with a holistic approach may be an effective strategy 26 …”

“…From the viewpoint of territorial inequalities and use in rural areas, Brazil sees similar results and discussions presented in other countries in Latin America and Africa. 16,23 Nevertheless, reflections on the consequences of the public-private relationship existing in the country are very similar to European models, 13 as these can represent a challenge to the coordination of care and the overcoming of individual interests in the integration of information and macro-management.…”

Research of information-analytical aspects for optimization of the health care institutions

“…The multi-stage process of analyzing the HCI activities, as well as the need for the consistent solution of a large number of tasks and handling large volumes of data of various natures, necessitates the use of special information technologies [7][8][9]. The development and use of relevant information and analytical support in the process of analyzing the HCI activities will make it possible to obtain timely and objective assessments of their activities, which, in turn, will become the basis for effective management decisions [10][11][12][13].…”