Digital Transformation Acceleration in Health Sector during COVID-19: Drivers and Consequences

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates whether the COVID-19 pandemic has a positive impact on accelerating digital transformation in the healthcare sector. Culture, technologies used, and the organization’s business process had to be adapted to the situation. And these three factors are also considered the main pillar of the digital transformation and for sure these factors will contribute to the expedite of DT with the effect of the pandemic. It is also important to highlight one outcome of that acceleration in all the parties/players benefiting from health including patients’ healthcare providers Healthcare industry HCI. The post-COVID situation can be also anticipated based on the input from the literature review and the research survey. Since most business experts are anticipating that life will not go back to the previous normal situation. And this anticipation is certainly based on studies published in recent years. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study is to find out the effect of COVID -19 as a moderator on digital transformation (DT) in healthcare and its drivers. And to depict how the accelerated digital transformation affects the patients and healthcare professionals. The study has managed to further check if the healthcare system and industry are improved and promoted with new products and markets, and investors who can build technological solutions for better healthcare startups or the healthcare industry. More attention is given to the international communities and their interest in the application of digital transformation in healthcare, and some examples are given of the current application. Hypotheses: This study has managed to examine the main pillars as drivers of DT in terms of culture, technology, and process and the impact on the Healthcare system’s main players. The influence of digital transformation and its magnification has also been presented in the current study and has been studied and analyzed in depth. Direct and indirect hypotheses were made and analyzed. The direct hypotheses were built based on Patient and HC provider Culture and its effect on Accelerated Digital Transformation, Technology and Innovation and its effect on Accelerated Digital Transformation, HC Business Process and its effect on Accelerated Digital Transformation, H4: Accelerated Digital Transformation impact on Better Patient experience, Accelerated Digital Transformation impact on having more HC Provider Facilities, and Accelerated Digital Transformation and its impact on promoted HCI. COVID-19 effects were presented based on its moderator effect on Accelerated Digital Transformation with Patient and HC provider Culture, Technology and Innovation, and HC Business Process. Indirect Hypotheses were established based on the proposed module during the analysis stage. Design/methodology/approach: The study proposes a research model that was established based on comprehensive research and a fully constructive literature review that simulates the variables and the relationships among all these variables. Based on this model research hypothesis will be built that will be further investigated by a survey that considered primary data and analysis. The target population are mainly healthcare provider and patient with experience with any new technology related to DT. WHO and the Middle East and the North Africa Association of Health Informatics can be also good communities to explore and target in the survey since they are very familiar with the topic and international and regional health governing bodies. The sample size was calculated, and the study estimated that for a population size of more than 700K, we need to use a sample of around 380 participants with a Confidence Level (95%) and Margin of Error (5%). Main results: The results of the data analysis revealed that respondents showed that most of the drivers’ variables had a significant effect on digital transformation. However, the unexpected non-significant effect appeared for the healthcare providers and patient culture. Digital Transformation had a great impact on the healthcare bodies and their digital experience including the healthcare industry. COVID-19 made a great impact on the DT variable and most of the drivers. Indirect relationships were also investigated in the analysis and presented in the study and the results showed that the direct effects were proven, and a highly significant effect was shown of the direct effect, it is also proven that the moderator effect from covid-19 is not supported.