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

Samir Mahmoud Ahmed Abdel Wahab¹ and Mohamed Saad^2,

¹Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Graduate School of Business (AASTMT)

²The British University In Egypt, (BUE)

Cite this paper

Samir Mahmoud Ahmed Abdel Wahab and Mohamed Saad. Digital Transformation Acceleration in Health Sector during COVID-19: Drivers and Consequences. Journal of Business and Management Sciences. 2022; 10(4):164-179. doi: 10.12691/JBMS-10-4-1

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%).

Keywords

digital health, healthcare, COVID-19 pandemic, digital transformation, DHCM, IoMT

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

[1]	Kwon, E. and Park, M. (2017). Critical Factors on Firm¡¯s Digital Transformation Capacity: Empirical Evidence from Korea. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, [online] 12, pp.1258-12596.
[2]	Kerfoot, B. & Gagnon, David & McMahon, Graham & Orlander, Jay & Kurgansky, Katherine & Conlin, Paul. (2017). A Team-Based Online Game Improves Blood Glucose Control in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Diabetes Care. 40. dc170310. 10.2337/dc17-0310.
[3]	Lee, S.M. and Lee, D. (2020). Healthcare wearable devices: an analysis of key factors for continuous use intention. Service Business.
[4]	Fardeen, Mohammed and P, Dr.Shareena, An Empirical Study on Impact of COVID-19 on the Businesses (September 27, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3700339.
[5]	rockhealth.com. (2021). H1 2021 digital health funding: Another blockbuster year in six months | Rock Health. [online] Available at: https://rockhealth.com/insights/h1-2021-digital-health-funding-another-blockbuster-year-in-six-months/.
[6]	Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach (6th ed.). (7, Ed.) Chichester, UK: Wiley & Sons Ltd.
[7]	Bumann, Jimmy & Peter, Marc. (2019). Action Fields of Digital Transformation - A Review and Comparative Analysis of Digital Transformation Maturity Models and Frameworks.
[8]	Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelwieser, V. G. (2014). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM): An Emerging Tool in Business Research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121.
[9]	Garson, G. D. (2016). Partial Least Squares: Regression and Structural Equation Models. Asheboro, NC, USA: Statistical Associates Publishers. Retrieved from https://www.smartpls.com/resources/ebook_on_pls-sem.pdf.
[10]	Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Mena, J. A. (2012). An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(3), 414-433.
[11]	Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Marketing. Advances in International Marketing, 20, 277-319.
[12]	Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd Ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
[13]	Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator¨Cmediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of personality and social psychology, 51(6), 1173.
[14]	WHO (2022), Covid19.who.int. 2022. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. [online] Available at: https://covid19.who.int/.
[15]	Business Insider Africa. 2020. Amazon and Walmart are ramping up hiring to add 250,000 new jobs. Here's how to apply and whether you can expect an interview.. [online] Available at: <https://africa.businessinsider.com/strategy/amazon-and-walmart-are-ramping-up-hiring-to-add-250000-new-jobs-heres-how-to-apply/qtp0tnm>
[16]	EmailEmailBioBioFollowFollow, E.D. closeElizabeth D.V.C. (2020). Tech giants are profiting ¡ª and getting more powerful ¡ª even as the global economy tanks. [online] Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/27/big-tech-coronavirus-winners/.
[17]	Pan American Health Organization (2020). COVID-19 Factsheets: COVID-19 and the role of information systems and technologies at the first level of care. [online] Available at: https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/52204.
[18]	Enterprisersproject.com. 2016. What is digital transformation?. [online] Available at: <https://enterprisersproject.com/what-is-digital-transformation#:~:text=Digital%20transformation%20is%20the%20integration, and%20get%20comfortable%20with%20failure.>
[19]	Scholar.google.com. 2019. George Westerman. [online] Available at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9G7N9d0AAAAJ&hl=en.
[20]	Stanfield, N. (2019). The Ultimate Digital Transformation Guide for Small-to-Medium Businesses. [online] Stanfield IT. Available at: https://www.stanfieldit.com/the-ultimate-digital-transformation-guide-for-small-to-medium-businesses/.
[21]	CIO. 2016. Clint Boulton (2016), ¡®Digital laggards¡¯ must harness data or get left behind. [online] Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/236140/digital-laggards-must-harness-data-or-get-left-behind.html.
[22]	Statista. 2021. COVID impact on digital transformation speed 2020 | Statista. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1200465/covid-digital-transformation-global/.
[23]	Investopedia. (2019). Online-to-Offline Commerce. [online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/onlinetooffline-commerce.asp.
[24]	www.metrikus.io. (2021). The PropTech Guide to IoMT. [online] Available at: https://www.metrikus.io/blog/the-proptech-guide-to-iomt#smart-healthcare-facilities
[25]	World Economic Forum. Louise Hickman, (2018). This is how digital tools are revolutionising patient care. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/use-this-app-twice-daily-how-digital-tools-are-revolutionising-patient-care
[26]	Rana Saeed Al-Maroof, Said A. Salloum, Aboul Ella Hassanien & Khaled Shaalan (2020) Fear from COVID-19 and technology adoption: the impact of Google Meet during Coronavirus pandemic, Interactive Learning Environments.
[27]	TechCrunch. (2019). [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/.
[28]	Kemp, S. (2020). Digital 2020: 3.8 billion people use social media. [online] We Are Social UK. Available at: https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2020/01/digital-2020-3-8-billion-people-use-social-media/.
[29]	Deloitte.com. (2022). [online] Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/.../Life-Sciences-Health-Care/gx-lshc-medtech-iomt-brochure.pdf.
[30]	Michael Pimental, Partner & Co-Founder, CVS Health Ventures Rock Health [online] Available at: https://rockhealth.com/insights/h1-2021-digital-health-funding-another-blockbuster-year-in-six-months/.
[31]	Daxx Software Development Teams. (2021). Emerging Healthcare Tech Trends in 2022: New Vectors to Expect. [online] Available at: https://www.daxx.com/blog/development-trends/technology-healthcare-trends.
[32]	Harvard Business Review. (2021). Accelerating Transformation for a Post-Covid-19 World - SPONSORED CONTENT FROM RED HAT. [online] Available at: https://hbr.org/sponsored/2021/05/accelerating-transformation-for-a-post-covid-19-world. (50).
[33]	Nagel, L. (2020), ¡°The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation of work¡±, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 40 No. 9/10, pp. 861-875.
[34]	Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., & Griffin, M. (2013). Business Research Methods. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
[35]	Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
[36]	Waidi, Adeniyi Akingbade. ¡°Employment of Questionnaire as Tool for Effective Business Research Outcome: Problems and Challenges.¡± Global Economic Observer 4 (2016): 136-144.
[37]	Julie Ask with Daniel Hong, Arielle Trzcinski, Gina Bhawalkar, Alessia Stewart, Paul-Julien Giraud (2021), Wearables Are For Consumers ¡ª Not Doctors | Forrester. [online] Available at: <https://www.forrester.com/report/Wearables-Are-For-Consumers-Not-Doctors/RES164570>
[38]	Mlitz, K., & van den Hoogen, Q. L. (2021). A value based approach to assessing changes in cultural policies. Cultural Trends.
[39]	Hair, J., 2009. Multivariate Data Analysis. [online] DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facpubs/2925/.
[40]	Hair, Jr, J.F; R.P. Bush & D.J. Ortinau (2000). Marketing research: A practical approach for the new millennium. New York: McGraw ¨CHill.