Towards collaborative health information systems: a pluralistic approach

Abstract

Healthcare is confronted with increasing costs and complexity, population ageing and pandemics. In this context, effective cooperation and interoperability of the healthcare effort participants and their information systems is paramount but often hindered by the typically hierarchical and heterogeneous character of healthcare institutions. In the new context, governments can no longer apply traditional healthcare information and organisational paradigms. Novel holistic and integrated models are required, taking into account aspects, elements and life cycles of all healthcare effort participants. Building on previous research and applications, this paper employs conceptual development and case study to create a modelling framework drawing on information systems, interoperability, collaborative networks and enterprise architecture disciplines in order to build the artefacts required for truly collaborative healthcare information systems. It is found that this multi–faceted approach provides a feasible theoretical and practical platform for sustainable collaborative information systems solutions to current and emerging population health and well–being challenges.