ABSTRACT
Digital transformation in healthcare is a strategic field for both scholars and practitioners. In this study, we attempted to analyze the current state of the art about the pervasive role of digital technologies in healthcare and to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic forced all the systems to disruptively adopt novel digital technologies, which affected both management and business sides. To elucidate the role of digital technologies in healthcare, we performed a structured literature review about the state of the art of digital transformation in healthcare to identify how the healthcare sector is undergoing a renaissance due to the pandemic. Our findings show that future research falls into three promising areas: (a) digital health care services enabled by digital technologies, (b) stakeholders' engagement through digital technologies for health care services, and (c) value impact generated by the digital transformation for healthcare stakeholders. We link these areas together, showing how the different digital technologies (smart health technologies, data-enabled and data collection technologies, Industry 4.0 tools and technologies, cognitive technologies, and drug & disease technologies) lead to the provisions of digital services, operational efficiencies, and value creation in the healthcare system. We conclude the article by suggesting various directions for future research and implications for management and practice. © 2023
ABSTRACT
At present, telemedicine and remote visits represent one alternative to in-person visits to meet patients’ ambulatory care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and its enforced social distancing requirements. Telemedicine is becoming popular in several clinical disciplines, including pain medicine and oncology. Two out of three chronic pain patients are women. Moreover, most women can be considered vulnerable patients, as they often need to take care of their families and jobs while under chronic pain or oncological treatment. By employing a case study, this chapter aims to delve deep into how this new paradigm can benefit patients’ quality of life. This chapter broadens the gender perspective on e-health, seeing this as an opportunity for patients, clinicians, and entrepreneurs in the field. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Disasters like the recent COVID-19 pandemic can benefit from the use of digital tools and Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs) to manage the emergency and improve the resilience of the system. Such KMSs must prove the quality of the system, service, situation, and knowledge which is gathered, transferred, and shared. However, KMSs must cope with the presence of knowledge barriers, which limit to manage data and information successfully. Our chapter wants to deepen such a topic through the analysis of the case study of a web application developed by the IHU Strasbourg, one research and clinical centre, to collect and share knowledge between the end-users (citizens) and healthcare institutions, decision-makers, and public entities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlight the need to ensure that not only the KMS possesses the recommended quality standards, but that specific features are put in place to cope with the presence of knowledge barriers, and the need for speed in the information flows to enhance resilience. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Knowledge Translation (KT) is a set of methods and approaches to transfer new knowledge to the practice of medicine, involving researchers, clinicians, managers, patients and policymakers. KT appears as a key topic in today’s healthcare system, which is under unprecedented pressure. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has further underlined the relevance of KT in supporting different stakeholders to communicate more effectively to take actions against the virus, limiting its spreading, and supporting the resilience of healthcare systems worldwide. This chapter highlights the types of KT needed during the pandemic to strengthen the health system responses by involving different actors, mental models and tools that are needed to ensure the effective translation, transfer and sharing of knowledge. Our recommendations reflect the characteristics of COVID-19, existing evidence- and experience-informed practices in health system organization and emergent practices in response to COVID-19 globally. © Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) was first identified in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China, and later caused a severe health crisis, causing massive disruptions to most healthcare sy-stems worldwide. The Covid-19 health emergency has seen healthcare workers in the front line facing all the difficulties related to the care burden. One of the most significant and probably underinvestigated aspects is the psychological stress of the healthcare staff managing the emergency. The aim of the paper is to analyze the literature on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the psychological well-being of health professionals. Methodology: We conducted a systematic review of articles published on this topic during the months from January 2020 to December 2020, searching on Pub Med, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Results: Most of the issues can be summarized into five conceptual categories: Stress, Depression and Infec-tion Anxiety, Anguish, Insomnia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Suicide. The literature identifies many factors contributing to the onset of anxiety, depression, and stress, like the fear of contracting the disease and transmitting it to family members and friends, stressful shifts, and little rest among several others. The literature highlights the needs for adequate measures, including proper psychological support. Conclusion: The conducted review suggests that the behaviours of healthcare professionals during the emer-gency phase of the Covid-19 pandemic show psychological disorders that can compromise mental health. Therefore, there is a call for those in chief like hospital managers and policymakers to take action, promoting measures like surveillance, monitoring, and psychological support among others, to increase the resilience of healthcare workers, limiting stress and anxiety and allowing them to keep their performance at work.