Organizational E-Readiness for the Digital Transformation of Primary Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many countries to implement a variety of restrictive measures to prevent it from spreading more widely, including the introduction of medical teleconsultations and the use of various tools in the field of inpatient telemedicine care. Digital technologies provide a wide range of treatment options for patients, and at the same time pose a number of organizational challenges for medical entities. Therefore, the question arises of whether organizations are ready to use modern telemedicine tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this article is to examine two factors that impact the level of organizational e-readiness for digital transformation in Polish primary healthcare providers (PHC). The first factor comprises operational capabilities, which are the sum of valuable, scarce, unique, and irreplaceable resources and the ability to use them. The second factor comprises technological capabilities, which determine the adoption and usage of innovative technologies. Contrary to the commonly analyzed impacts of technology on operational capabilities, we state the reverse hypothesis. The verification confirms the significant influence of operational capabilities on technological capabilities. The research is conducted using a questionnaire covering organizational e-readiness for digital transformation prepared by the authors. Out of the 32 items examined, four are related to the operational capabilities and four to the technological capabilities. The result of our evaluation shows that: (i) a basic set of four variables can effectively measure the dimensions of OC, namely the degree of agility, level of process integration, quality of resources, and quality of cooperation; (ii) a basic set of three variables can effectively measure the dimensions of TC, namely adoption and usage of technologies, customer interaction, and process automation; (iii) the empirical results show that OC is on a higher level than TC in Polish PHCs; (iv) the assessment of the relationship between OC and TC reveals a significant influence of operational capabilities on technological capabilities with a structural coefficient of 0.697. We recommend increasing the level of technological capability in PHC providers in order to improve the contact between patients and general practitioners (GPs) via telemedicine in lockdown conditions.