Building a Better World through Information Systems

IS in Healthcare

There continues to be demand upon healthcare systems globally to improve the quality of medical care whilst containing growing costs of healthcare. Information Systems (IS) can play a central role in the processes related to reforming both clinical and non-clinical procedures.  The new health IT opportunities are not limited to administrative and medical record systems, but also include greater access to and by patients through remote monitoring, support for personalised medicine, smart phones, blue-tooth enabled medical devices, telemedicine, etc. that have the potential for transforming how healthcare is delivered and how providers manage clinical and non-clinical aspects of the healthcare delivery.

Despite widespread adoption of health related IS there is continued concern regarding poor system integration, significant cost over runs, low adoption as well as systems with inadequate understanding of user requirements. There is also growing concern with how to use technology to support patients in managing their own health, and in delivering personalised health.  As healthcare organizations move towards patient-centered systems, further opportunities and challenges are being created to adapt various processes and practices required by new reform initiatives. Growing awareness of health inequalities is also challenging organisations – including not for profits and social enterprises – to find low cost and mobile methods of delivering health in rural regions of emerging economies, supported for example by remote monitoring services and e-consultations.

We invite theoretical and empirical submissions that leverage the multiple perspectives of information systems in the healthcare sector and which may consider, but are not limited to, the above mentioned and following topics:

·         How can IS research support construction and sharing of secure comprehensive electronic health records at individual, community and population levels?

·         How can IS research overcome challenges in adoption that require modifying behaviours of healthcare professionals

·         How does IS influence or is influenced by organizational issues of power structures, culture and change management

·         How will IT expand access to underprivileged, non tech savvy, elderly who are unwilling or unable to take advantage of technology?

·         What are unique healthcare related challenges that IS can address in emerging economies?

·         How can IS research promote the development, dissemination and deployment of best practices in medicine and healthcare delivery?

·         How can IS support the risk sharing between healthcare insurers and providers, for example under bundled payment or accountable care organizations, in privately funded health systems such as the United States and Netherlands?

Track Chairs

Associate Editors