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Journals / Journal of Health Systems and Policies / 2026 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1

Digital Health as an Organizational Change Catalyst: A Conceptual Review from a Healthcare Management Perspective

Örgütsel Değişimin Katalizörü Olarak Dijital Sağlık: Sağlık Yönetimi Perspektifinden Kavramsal Bir İnceleme

Ufuk Burak Karcıoğlu(ISTINYE UNIVERSITY)0009-0006-9131-6407
Pages
85–109
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

By bridging theory and practice, this synthesis offers a roadmap for equitable, sustainable digital transformation in global healthcare.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Digital health technologies encompassing telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), electronic health records (EHRs), wearable sensors, and blockchain-enabled platforms are no longer peripheral tools but increasingly central catalysts for profound organizational transformation within healthcare systems.
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Key Findings & Data:This conceptual review synthesizes evidence from high-impact sources (published between 2018–2026) to examine how digital health reshapes structures, processes, cultures, and governance in healthcare organizations.
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Conclusion & Impact:By bridging theory and practice, this synthesis offers a roadmap for equitable, sustainable digital transformation in global healthcare.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2018–2026 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dijital Sağlık · Sağlık Yönetimi · Örgütsel Değişim

Abstract

Digital health technologies encompassing telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), electronic health records (EHRs), wearable sensors, and blockchain-enabled platforms are no longer peripheral tools but increasingly central catalysts for profound organizational transformation within healthcare systems. This conceptual review synthesizes evidence from high-impact sources (published between 2018–2026) to examine how digital health reshapes structures, processes, cultures, and governance in healthcare organizations. Drawing on Socio-Technical Systems (STS) theory and diffusion of innovations (DOI) frameworks, digital health can be conceptualized as a disruptive force that simultaneously challenges legacy hierarchies and enables new forms of value creation, patient-centeredness, and system resilience. Key insights from the reviewed literature indicate that mature digital health implementations are associated with reported efficiency gains ranging from 15% to 30% and reductions in avoidable hospitalizations between 10% and 25%, depending on implementation context, health system capacity, and level of integration. However, uneven adoption exacerbates digital divides: low- and middle-income countries face infrastructural and workforce barriers that limit benefits to 20–40% of potential. This study identifies critical enablers leadership commitment, interprofessional training, ethical governance and barriers, including resistance to change, interoperability deficits, and privacy risks. This review calls for healthcare managers and policymakers to adopt a deliberate change-management lens, treating digital health not as a technology project but as a strategic organizational redesign imperative. Future trajectories point towards AI-human symbiosis, federated learning ecosystems, and value-based digital financing models that could redefine health system performance by 2035. By bridging theory and practice, this synthesis offers a roadmap for equitable, sustainable digital transformation in global healthcare.

Özet

Teletıp, yapay zekâ (YZ), elektronik sağlık kayıtları (ESK), giyilebilir sensörler ve blokzincir destekli platformları kapsayan dijital sağlık teknolojileri, artık sağlık sistemlerinde çevresel araçlar olmaktan çıkmış; sağlık kuruluşlarında köklü örgütsel dönüşümün giderek daha merkezi katalizörleri hâline gelmiştir. Bu kavramsal derleme, dijital sağlığın sağlık kuruluşlarında yapıları, süreçleri, kültürleri ve yönetişimi nasıl yeniden şekillendirdiğini incelemek amacıyla 2018-2026 yılları arasında yayımlanan yüksek etkili kaynaklardan elde edilen kanıtları sentezlemektedir. Sosyoteknik Sistemler (STS) kuramı ve Yeniliklerin Yayılımı (DOI) çerçevelerinden hareketle dijital sağlık, geleneksel hiyerarşileri eş zamanlı olarak zorlayan ve yeni değer yaratımı, hasta merkezlilik ve sistem dayanıklılığı biçimlerini mümkün kılan dönüştürücü bir güç olarak kavramsallaştırılabilir. İncelenen literatürden elde edilen temel bulgular, olgun dijital sağlık uygulamalarının; uygulama bağlamı, sağlık sistemi kapasitesi ve entegrasyon düzeyine bağlı olarak %15 ile %30 arasında değişen verimlilik kazanımları ve %10 ile %25 arasında değişen önlenebilir hastane yatışlarında azalmalarla ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, dijital sağlık uygulamalarının eşitsiz benimsenmesi dijital uçurumları derinleştirmektedir; düşük ve orta gelirli ülkeler, potansiyel faydaların yalnızca %20-40’ına ulaşılmasına neden olan altyapı ve iş gücü engelleriyle karşı karşıyadır. Bu çalışma, liderlik bağlılığı, meslekler arası eğitim ve etik yönetişim gibi kritik kolaylaştırıcıları; değişime direnç, birlikte çalışabilirlik eksiklikleri ve mahremiyet riskleri gibi temel engelleri ortaya koymaktadır. Derleme, sağlık yöneticileri ve politika yapıcıların dijital sağlığı bir teknoloji projesi olarak değil, stratejik bir örgütsel yeniden tasarım zorunluluğu olarak ele alarak bilinçli bir değişim yönetimi perspektifi benimsemeleri gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Gelecek yönelimler, 2035 yılına kadar sağlık sistemi performansını yeniden tanımlayabilecek YZ-insan ortaklığı, federe öğrenme ekosistemleri ve değer temelli dijital finansman modellerine işaret etmektedir. Kuram ile uygulama arasında köprü kuran bu sentez, küresel sağlıkta hakkaniyetli ve sürdürülebilir dijital dönüşüm için bir yol haritası sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Karcıoğlu, U. B. (2026). Digital Health as an Organizational Change Catalyst: A Conceptual Review from a Healthcare Management Perspective. Journal of Health Systems and Policies, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 85–109. https://doi.org/10.52675/jhesp.1882046

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