DETERMINANTS OF INNOVATIONS IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES ADOPTED BY HOSPITALS

Abstract

Innovation, in health services in general and in hospitals in particular, has been studied intensely in recent years, evidencing the growing interest of researchers in the subject. In the literature, there is a consensus amongst scholars regarding the complex and dynamic nature of innovation in health services, particularly regarding the determinants and the changes resulting from innovation. Therefore, an understanding of innovation in its entire spectrum helps to identify factors that affect the innovation process and its effects on hospital organizations, particularly in the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Thus, the article describes the adoption of innovations supported by ICT and its determinants in three hospitals. The research, of a qualitative nature, was based on 11 interviews and analyzed barriers, facilitators, benefits and future challenges for three innovations: the Intensive Care Unit Management System, Electronic Patient Records and the Intelligent Surgery Room. The highlighted barriers in the survey were: resistance to the use of, and lack of knowledge about, new technologies. Conversely, the main facilitators were: the commitment of the high-level administration and communication between teams. The most important benefits were: decreases in errors of diagnosis, of prescription and of intervention, and faster recovery of patients. Finally, the challenges identified were related to emerging competencies, which suggests changes in the behavior profiles of hospitals’ professionals concerning the use of ICT, as well as to hospital services as a whole. At the end of the article, conclusions and recommendations of a theoretical and practical order are presented.