Introduction

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Information Infrastructures and the Challenge of the Installed Base

In this chapter we present the theoretical perspective of information infrastructures, which is used to analyze the empirical cases in the book. In this perspective, information technology is seen as intimately intertwined with organizational structures, procedures and work practices, and as an underlying, supporting and often invisible infrastructure. Information infrastructures are not only local, but shared among distributed actors which can have multiple and different needs and interests. Understanding the complexities and mechanisms involved in the evolution of information infrastructures is at the core of this perspective which challenges traditional management approaches. Instead of …

Information Infrastructures for eHealth

This chapter provides an introductory overview of healthcare information systems, followed by a more detailed discussion on two types of core components in a public eHealth infrastructure: e-prescription solutions and governmental patient-oriented platforms. E-prescription solutions support the electronic flow of information for prescribed medications between prescribers, pharmacies and insurers that handle related payments. E-prescription solutions aim for cost containment, enhancement of patient safety, control over doctors’ prescription patterns and process quality assurance. Governmental platforms for patient- or citizen-oriented eHealth services typically offer patients access to gener…

Strategies for Building eHealth Infrastructures

This chapter presents a cross-case analysis of the eleven empirical chapters of the book. We discuss the six e-prescription cases and the five patient-oriented eHealth cases in terms of the initiatives’ scope, starting point, and motivation, and then, we turn to observed strategies towards the installed base for the two types of infrastructures. E-prescription is relatively well-defined in terms of functionality and there are clear interdependencies with existing healthcare applications (e.g. Electronic Health Record systems and Pharmacy systems) as well as with established practices for prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement of drugs. The e-prescription cases illustrate a variety of app…

Digital Transformation through Collaborative Platformization: A Study of Incumbent-Entrepreneur Relations