The adoption of technology orientation in healthcare delivery

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of technology through the study of electronic health record system in delivering patient‐centered services. The goal is to identify the antecedents and consequences of adopting a technology orientation (TECHOR) approach in a large‐scale hospital and healthcare system.Design/methodology/approachA grounded approach is used whereby extensive literature review and field studies were conducted over a two‐year period. The three major field research activities included observation on hospital premises, semi‐structured interviews, and focus group discussions with hospital employees from a large‐scale hospital and healthcare system.FindingsThe findings reveal that TECHOR is institutionalized as a result of its demonstrated effectiveness in delivering patient‐centered services with improved cost effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and quality control.Research limitations/implicationsEmpirical testing of the presented framework is an important future research direction to validate the current qualitative investigation.Practical implicationsBy understanding the driving forces and consequences of TECHOR, healthcare managers can better understand and manage their technology initiatives. Such effort will help healthcare organizations to create new services in meeting evolving demands and establishing long‐lasting competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills a research gap by presenting a firm‐level construct crucial to successful planning and implementation of technology‐enabled health services.