eHealth, the future of healthcare - A case study of effects and barriers

The aim of the thesis is to explain how the adoption of ICT influences the performance of the national health service and what barriers exist in the adoption of ICT from three perspectives; processes, patients and employees. The thesis uses qualitative data to investigate the effects and barriers of ICT adoption in Region Skåne’s healthcare. The thesis has an inductive approach. The theories the thesis is based on are resource based view, value chain and change management theories. The empirical data is collected from interviews of eleven persons with various positions within Region Skåne. The conlusion is that the adoption of ICT in the national health service has influenced the healthcare marginally. The main effects come from the digitalization of health records. However, it has arisen barriers in the adoption of ICT. The main barriers found are; lack of knowledge, norms & values as a source of resistance to change, lack of communication and lack of involvement of employees. Moreover, the security in the systems is also found as a barrier in the adoption of ICT in healthcare. Finally, the organizational structure is found as a factor that influences the whole process of ICT adoption