Abstract
BackgroundHaving a tax-funded and supposedly ‘National’ Health Service (NHS), one might assume that the UK is well-positioned to roll out eHealth innovations at scale. Yet, despite a strong policy push, the English NHS has been limited in the extent to which it has exploited the potential of eHealth.Main bodyThis paper considers a range of macro, meso and micro factors influencing eHealth innovation in the English NHS.ConclusionsWhile barriers to eHealth innovation exist at all scales, the fragmentation of the NHS is the most significant factor limiting adoption and diffusion. Rather than addressing problems of fragmentation, national policy seems to have intensified the digital divide. As the recently published NHS Long Term Plan places great emphasis on the role of digital transformation in helping health and care professionals communicate better and enabling people to access the care they need quickly and easily, the implications for the digital divide are likely to be significant for effectiveness, efficiency and equity.
Highlights
Having a tax-funded and supposedly ‘National’ Health Service (NHS), one might assume that the United Kingdom (UK) is well-positioned to roll out eHealth innovations at scale
The previous health and social care Secretary of State identified the need for the full integration of the health and social care system and for the National Health Service (NHS) to become “massively more teched up” [2]
Meso scale factors influencing the adoption of eHealth innovations in the NHS At the meso scale, important roles are played by the organisational conditions and capabilities of adopters [43, 44]
Summary
While barriers to eHealth innovation exist at all scales, the fragmentation of the NHS is the most significant factor limiting adoption and diffusion. Rather than addressing problems of fragmentation, national policy seems to have intensified the digital divide. As the recently published NHS Long Term Plan places great emphasis on the role of digital transformation in helping health and care professionals communicate better and enabling people to access the care they need quickly and the implications for the digital divide are likely to be significant for effectiveness, efficiency and equity
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