Why does the NHS struggle to adopt eHealth innovations? A review of macro, meso and micro factors (21 December 2019)

Summary

This article in BMC Health Services Research looks at a range of macro, meso and micro factors influencing eHealth innovation in the English NHS. eHealth is a broad term which encompasses e-health, m-health, telemedicine and telecare, public health surveillance, personalised medicine/patient engagement, health and medical platforms, self-tracking, medical imaging, healthcare information systems, mobile connectivity, social networking, sensors and wearables, gamification, electronic health records, big data, health information technology, health analytics, digitised health systems, robotics and active assistive living.

The study found that the fragmentation of the NHS is the most significant factor limiting the adoption of eHealth innovations, arguing that national policy has intensified the digital divide. It states that the NHS Long Term Plan places great emphasis on the role of digital transformation in aiding communication and enabling people to access care quickly and easily, highlighting significant implications for effectiveness, efficiency and equity.