Materiali per la ricerca e l'approfondimento
No. 132 (2024)
The transition towards digital integrated information systems: The case of ASL Napoli 1 Centro
Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli
Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope
Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope
Abstract
The transition toward integrated digital information systems represents a strategic lever for the structural transformation of the healthcare sector. The integration between hospital and primary care platforms enables more effective management of clinical data, greater continuity of care, and more transparent, value-oriented governance. However, the transition toward highly digitalized processes is not without its complexities: it requires a profound rethinking of organizational architectures, transformative leadership, and a balance between process standardization and personalized care.
This paper analyzes the experience of a large local health authority, ASL Napoli 1 Centro, regarding the on going digital transition process. In many respects, this experience can be considered a success, which, according to the authors, was determined by four key factors: the approach adopted in managing the relationship between integration and differentiation of information systems, the direct involvement of strategic management, the crucial role of the control system, and the management of relationships with suppliers.
Learning about this experience and paying attention to these four factors can be useful in understanding and better managing digital transition processes in large public healthcare organizations.
References
- Anthony R. N. (1965). Planning and Control Systems: a Framework for Analysis. Division of Research, Harvard Business School.
- Barrett M., Oborn E., & Orlikowski W. J. (2012). Creating value in online communities: The sociomaterial configuring of strategy, platform, and practice. MIS Quarterly, 36(1): 137-166.
- Burns T. & Stalker G.M. (1961). The management of innovation. London: Tavistock Publications.
- Cummings T., & Zhang M. (2020). Distributed leadership in healthcare: models and outcomes. Journal of Health Organization Management, 34(1): 10-27.
- Diffie W., & Hellman M. (1976). New directions in cryptography. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 22(6): 644-654.
- Ferlie E., & Shortell S. M. (2001). Improving the quality of health care in the United Kingdom and the United States: A framework for change. The Milbank Quarterly, 79(2): 281-315.
- Joint Commission (2023). Leadership in healthcare organizations: A guide to Joint Commission leadership standards.
- Kraus S., Schiavone F., Pluzhnikova A., & Invernizzi A. C. (2021). Digital transformation in healthcare: Analyzing the current state-of-research. Journal of Business Research, 123: 557-567.
- Lawrence P. R., & Lorsch J. W. (1967). Organization and Environment: Managing Differentiation and Integration. Harvard Business School Press.
- Pollitt C., & Bouckaert G. (2011). Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis. Oxford University Press.
- Ricciardi W., Tarricone R., & Boccia S. (2020). The challenge of digital health. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5): v1-v2.
- Sales A. M., Mansur J. D., & Roth M. (2023). Managing organizational differentiation and integration through multi-level governance: Revisiting classic theories in complex environments. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 36(5): 849-869.
- Spinelli A., Pellino G., & Vassallo L. (2016). Leadership in healthcare: Approaches and outcomes. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 8: 21-28.
- Topol E. (2019). Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again. New York, NY: Basic Books.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Patientsafety: Global action on patientsafety (2020).