Combining Social Service and Healthcare as the First Country in the World : Exploring the Impacts on Information Systems

Use of Electronic Medical Records in Academic Hospitals: lights and shadows

Fragmented by Design

Like our society, our health system also remains fragmented. Fragmentation is linked to structural issues of the health system, like how care is financed and organised. Fragmentation at the level of health system design plays out in the daily lives of people who access healthcare in the form of high financial burden, incomplete care, and high levels of unmet health needs. An attempt has been made to study the key drivers of fragmentation across the three prominent models of pooled health financing across various domains. While government-funded health insurance (GFHI) is being promoted as the most appropriate mechanism to address health system fragmentation, evidence suggests that the current GFHIs remain ineffective, whereas government-financed and publicly provided and social health insurance demonstrate greater promise despite systemic weaknesses.

Improving Hospital Financial and Social Performance Through a Patient-Centered Approach

Research topics regarding healthcare have been directed progressively towards service quality, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and financial efficiency. This research article focuses on an investigation of the Albanian healthcare system with a focus on hospitals. Through data and literature review, the aim is to identify which are the key areas where investments should be made and how policies are being adapted in the Albanian healthcare environment. This paper briefly addresses the elements that improve patient satisfaction and service quality, while highlighting the benefits of a patient-centered approach in the social and financial aspects of healthcare organizations. Patients’ experiences and healthcare professionals’ perspectives and technical expertise should be understood in combination and analyzed to better comprehend the current situation of the industry and to be the driving factors of quality improvement.

A digital health design model for a live healthcare console from a South African public healthcare perspective

Digital health systems can be effective when they are connected to each other and are able to share relevant information with stakeholders. In South Africa, however, not all digital health systems within the public healthcare environment are connected. The public healthcare system could therefore benefit from the implementation of a Live Healthcare Console which could connect disparate systems and combine and disseminate healthcare information such as hospital bed occupancy and ambulance diverts in real-time. The study proposes a graphical Design Model for a Live Healthcare Console. An initial first version was designed based on a review of the literature. Thirty-one semi-structured online interviews were then conducted with healthcare stakeholders from Gauteng’s public healthcare system. The interviews were analysed using an interpretive approach involving three cycles of coding. This resulted in the formulation of six themes (connect, combine, communicate, contain, collaborate and cooperate). The themes were applied to a revised second version, which was presented to a subset of the research participants. These participants provided feedback which was incorporated into the final and third version of this study.

Digital Competitiveness of the Healthcare System in Bulgaria

This paper examines the digital competitiveness of Bulgaria’s healthcare sector and its main objective is to assess the sector’s level of digitalization through the development and application of a Digital Readiness Index for Healthcare. The empirical analysis is based on a national survey conducted among different types of organizations. The survey examines key aspects such as the use of electronic health records, telemedicine, online services, IT infrastructure, staff skills, and common implementation barriers. This research addresses a gap in the literature by providing a sector-specific, data-driven assessment of digital readiness in healthcare within the context of an emerging economy. The findings reveal that digitalization has a measurable impact on patient satisfaction, service quality, and operational efficiency, and outlines the factors that support digital advancement, as well as main challenges. The results underscore that digital readiness is a crucial driver of competitiveness in the healthcare and in the overall socio-economic system

How Prioritized is the Smart Governance of Health Data of Immigrants and Foreign Nationals in the Country?

The share of foreign nationals in Iran’s population is significant, and the country hosts approximately 6.8 million foreign migrants. However, for various reasons, a large portion of this population is less visible compared to the Iranian population, as their databases are incomplete, fragmented, inaccurate, and lack a regular and structured mechanism for updating data. This issue has created serious challenges in providing healthcare services to this large population. The consequences are not limited to foreign nationals, as diseases within this group can easily spread to the Iranian population as well. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and immediate actions to manage their data effectively in order to optimize resource management, enhance security and equity in the provision of healthcare services, and support the delivery of broader services to migrants.