From challenges to opportunities: Digital transformation in hospital-at-home care
Terhi-Maija Isakov, Henna Härkönen, Irina Atkova, F. F. Wang, Gillian Vesty, Piia Hyvämäki, Miia Jansson
Abstract
• The advancement of electronic health information exchange can streamline care processes and communication in and across hospital-at-home care. • The use of digital health interventions with AI-based clinical decision support systems can improve efficiency in hospital-at-home care. • Using new technology, like drones and remote devices, can improve patient safety and make hospital-at-home care more efficient and accessible. • Digital health interventions, such as point-of-care devices and wearable technology, can improve equitable access to hospital-at-home care. Digital transformation is an ongoing sosio-technological process that can create opportunities in the health sector. However, the current landscape of digital transformation in hospital-at-home care is unknown. To describe healthcare providers’ perspectives of digital transformation in hospital-at-home care. A total of 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in September-October 2023 in all Finnish wellbeing services counties (n = 21), the city of Helsinki (n = 1), and private health care providers (n = 3). Snowball sampling was used (N = 46). The data underwent an inductive content analysis. The analysis revealed four main and 17 generic categories of challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in hospital-at-home care. These challenges and opportunities were related to 1) Health information exchange in and across hospital-at-home care; 2) Management of hospital-at-home care; 3) Logistics in hospital-at-home care planning and delivery; and 4) Digital health interventions in hospital-at-home care delivery. The challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in the hospital-at-home care is intricately linked to the efficiency of health information exchange, management, logistics, and digital health interventions. Addressing the key areas of improvement in health information exchange can lead to more streamlined patient care processes and improved communication between healthcare professionals and patients. Digital transformation in management and logistics can improve overall efficiency within healthcare systems. Digital health interventions may promote equitable and universal access to high-quality healthcare. Continued focus on health care information infrastructure, in particular interoperability of electronic health records and optimization of information flow, will be essential to realize the full potential of digitalization.