TY - JOUR
T1 - Data-Driven Collaboration between Hospitals and Other Healthcare Organisations in Europe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
T2 - An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study among Mid-Level Hospital Managers
AU - Ivankovic, Damir
AU - Garel, Pascal
AU - Klazinga, Niek
AU - Kringos, Dionne
N1 - Funding Information: This work was carried out by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (HealthPros – Healthcare Performance Intelligence Professionals) that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nr. 765141. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Introduction: Data and digital infrastructure drive collaboration and help develop integrated healthcare systems and services. COVID-19 induced changes to collaboration between healthcare organisations, which previously often happened in fragmented and competitive ways. New collaborative practices relied on data and were crucial in managing coordinated responses to the pandemic. In this study, we explored data-driven collaboration between European hospitals and other healthcare organisations in 2021 by identifying common themes, lessons learned and implications going forward. Methods: Study participants were recruited from an existing Europe-wide community of mid-level hospital managers. For data collection, we ran an online survey, conducted multi-case study interviews and organised webinars. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and cross-case synthesis. Results: Mid-level hospital managers from 18 European countries reported an increase in data exchange between healthcare organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data-driven collaborative practices were goal-oriented and focused on the optimisation of hospitals’ governance functions, innovation in organisational models and improvements to data infrastructure. This was often made possible by temporarily overcoming system complexities, which would otherwise hinder collaboration and innovation. Sustainability of these developments remains a challenge. Discussion: Mid-level hospital managers form a huge potential of reacting and collaborating when needed, including rapidly setting up novel partnerships and redefining established processes. Major post-COVID unmet medical needs are linked to hospital care provision, including diagnostic and therapeutic backlogs. Tackling these will require rethinking of the position of hospitals within healthcare systems, including their role in care integration. Conclusion: Learning from COVID-19-induced developments in data-driven collaboration between hospitals and other healthcare organisations is important to address systemic barriers, sustain resilience and further build transformative capacity to help build better integrated healthcare systems.
AB - Introduction: Data and digital infrastructure drive collaboration and help develop integrated healthcare systems and services. COVID-19 induced changes to collaboration between healthcare organisations, which previously often happened in fragmented and competitive ways. New collaborative practices relied on data and were crucial in managing coordinated responses to the pandemic. In this study, we explored data-driven collaboration between European hospitals and other healthcare organisations in 2021 by identifying common themes, lessons learned and implications going forward. Methods: Study participants were recruited from an existing Europe-wide community of mid-level hospital managers. For data collection, we ran an online survey, conducted multi-case study interviews and organised webinars. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and cross-case synthesis. Results: Mid-level hospital managers from 18 European countries reported an increase in data exchange between healthcare organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data-driven collaborative practices were goal-oriented and focused on the optimisation of hospitals’ governance functions, innovation in organisational models and improvements to data infrastructure. This was often made possible by temporarily overcoming system complexities, which would otherwise hinder collaboration and innovation. Sustainability of these developments remains a challenge. Discussion: Mid-level hospital managers form a huge potential of reacting and collaborating when needed, including rapidly setting up novel partnerships and redefining established processes. Major post-COVID unmet medical needs are linked to hospital care provision, including diagnostic and therapeutic backlogs. Tackling these will require rethinking of the position of hospitals within healthcare systems, including their role in care integration. Conclusion: Learning from COVID-19-induced developments in data-driven collaboration between hospitals and other healthcare organisations is important to address systemic barriers, sustain resilience and further build transformative capacity to help build better integrated healthcare systems.
KW - COVID-19
KW - data-driven collaboration
KW - hospitals
KW - integration
KW - mid-level hospital management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163606453&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.6990
DO - https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.6990
M3 - Article
C2 - 37333773
SN - 1568-4156
VL - 23
JO - International journal of integrated care
JF - International journal of integrated care
IS - 2
M1 - 28
ER -