Managing ICT-Driven Innovation in the Health Care Industry: Evidence from an Empirical Study in Italy

Health care organizations can gain a lot of value from ICT-driven innovations, but although there is a growing awareness of the potential benefits, results are often well under expectations. Evidence from a large empirical analysis (involving more than 150 Italian organizations, analyzed through a surveys and 60 case studies), suggests that the reasons for this lack of effectiveness are mainly two: (i) an organizational culture that still perceive ICT as a process support lever, and (ii) an ICT direction without the competences and capabilities required to play a real strategic role. To solve these problems health care organizations must work on the profile of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and on the ICT department organization and governance mechanisms, with the objectives of bridging the gap between technological opportunities and clinicians’ needs