Open Access Article

Title: Driving health technologies towards performance: a contextualisation within the hospital setting

Authors: Irene Gabutti

Addresses: Graduate School of Health Economics and Management (ALTEMS), Department of Management, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito, 1 00168, Rome, Italy

Abstract: Purpose: Technology plays a crucial role in determining organisational performance and this is true also in hospitals. Nevertheless, there exists a lack of evidence on how well health technologies are expected to perform in specific hospitals, depending on their managerial characteristics. The aim of this work is to shed light on these dynamics and provide a clear picture of the expected effects of health technologies in hospitals. Methodology: Through multiple literature searches, a theoretical framework linking organisational contextual factors, technology implementation and organisational performance is provided and applied to hospitals. Findings: Contextual factors play a key role in determining performance of health technologies. Performance should be interpreted through a balanced array of dimensions and should be understood in a broader system-perspective. Originality: There emerges the need of a full awareness of the effects that hospital contextual factors exert on the use of health technologies and on their impact on performance.

Keywords: contextual factors; health technology; performance; hospital; conceptual framework.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2021.119720

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2021 Vol.21 No.4, pp.363 - 380

Received: 04 Mar 2021
Accepted: 09 Oct 2021

Published online: 16 Dec 2021 *