Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Jan 21, 2025
Date Accepted: May 12, 2025
Unlocking IoT in Healthcare: Key Factors Shaping Successful Implementation – A Qualitative Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
the utilisation of the Internet of Things (IoT) can significantly enhance healthcare. However, successful implementation of IoT requires a holistic approach including factors beyond technology alone.
Objective:
This paper seeks to advance understanding of the factors influencing the successful implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in the healthcare sector, expanding beyond a purely technological focus.
Methods:
Using data from 22 semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders—including healthcare professionals, researchers, municipal and regional officials, and private companies—this study examines five leading IoT projects in Sweden.
Results:
Grounded in sociotechnical systems theory, the research identifies five critical subsystems impacting IoT implementation: (1) laws and regulations, which present challenges due to their complexity and misalignment with rapid technological advances; (2) organizational support, highlighting the essential commitment and resources from management to drive innovation; (3) user focus, emphasizing the importance of engaging end-users—such as patients and healthcare providers—in the design and implementation of IoT solutions; (4) resources, encompassing both financial investments and human capital needed for effective deployment; and (5) infrastructure, which addresses the technological foundations required to support IoT systems reliably.
Conclusions:
By shifting attention from adoption to the complexities of implementation, this study fills a critical gap in the literature, which has largely emphasized adoption and technical aspects over practical implementation challenges. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of the primary factors influencing IoT implementation in healthcare, illuminating both the challenges and potential avenues for successful integration. Ultimately, this research advances the sociotechnical systems theory and also offers valuable insights for managers and policymakers tasked with driving digital transformation in healthcare systems.
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.