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Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research

Date Submitted: Nov 20, 2019
Date Accepted: May 14, 2020

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

Technological Capabilities to Assess Digital Excellence in Hospitals in High Performing Health Care Systems: International eDelphi Exercise

Krasuska M, Williams R, Sheikh A, Franklin BD, Heeney C, Lane W, Mozzafar H, Mason K, Eason S, Hinder S, Dunscombe R, Potts HWW, Cresswell K

Technological Capabilities to Assess Digital Excellence in Hospitals in High Performing Health Care Systems: International eDelphi Exercise

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(8):e17022

DOI: 10.2196/17022

PMID: 32808938

PMCID: 7463397

Technological capabilities to assess digital excellence in hospitals in high performing healthcare systems: an international eDelphi exercise

  • Marta Krasuska; 
  • Robin Williams; 
  • Aziz Sheikh; 
  • Bryony Dean Franklin; 
  • Catherine Heeney; 
  • Wendy Lane; 
  • Hajar Mozzafar; 
  • Kathy Mason; 
  • Sally Eason; 
  • Susan Hinder; 
  • Rachel Dunscombe; 
  • Henry, W. W. Potts; 
  • Kathrin Cresswell

ABSTRACT

Background:

Hospitals worldwide are developing ambitious digital transformation programmes as part of wider efforts to create digitally advanced healthcare systems. However, there is as yet no consensus on how best to characterise and assess digital excellence in hospitals. We sought to develop international agreement on a defined set of technological capabilities to assess digital excellence in hospitals.

Objective:

We sought to develop international agreement on a defined set of technological capabilities to assess digital excellence in hospitals.

Methods:

We conducted a two-stage international modified electronic Delphi (eDelphi) consensus building exercise, which included a qualitative analysis of free text responses. Thirty-one international health informatics experts took part, representing clinical, academic, public and vendor organizations.

Results:

We identified 35 technological capabilities that can be seen to indicate digital excellence in hospitals. These are divided into two categories: (a) capabilities within a hospital (n:20) and (b) capabilities enabling communication with other parts of the health and social care system, and with patients and carers (n:15). The analysis of free text responses pointed to the importance of non-technological aspects of digitally enabled change including social and organizational factors. Examples included an institutional culture characterized by willingness to transform established ways of working and openness to risk-taking. Availability of a range of skills within digitization teams including technological, project management and business expertise and availability of resources to support hospital staff were also highlighted.

Conclusions:

We have identified internationally agreed criteria for assessing digital excellence in hospitals. Our findings highlight the need to broaden the focus from technical functionalities to also assess broader digital transformation capabilities.


 Citation

Please cite as:

Krasuska M, Williams R, Sheikh A, Franklin BD, Heeney C, Lane W, Mozzafar H, Mason K, Eason S, Hinder S, Dunscombe R, Potts HWW, Cresswell K

Technological Capabilities to Assess Digital Excellence in Hospitals in High Performing Health Care Systems: International eDelphi Exercise

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(8):e17022

DOI: 10.2196/17022

PMID: 32808938

PMCID: 7463397

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