This is according to research of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on three humanitarian organisations, who had made a lot of digital innovations in healthcare during the Covid-19 crisis for people in vulnerable situations, e.g. homeless people. These innovations mainly consisted of online appointments and video conferencing.
The professional's role in digital healthcare.
Due to the Covid-19 crisis, existing routines were interrupted and a new method of work was discovered. The differences between organisations mainly show that views on professional identity play an important role. To what extent does digital contact fit in with ideas about the responsibilities of a professional? The answers to this vary and decide whether people assume digital healthcare is only temporary or a necessity, or if digital healthcare is a new method for some groups of clients.
Considering digital healthcare as an improvement, not as a cutback.
In addition, a shared vision for innovation is important. A vision aimed at using digital healthcare to improve professionalism, quality of care and a client's self-direction could have a positive influence on the acceptance of digital innovation. This is in contrast to the conception of digital healthcare as a necessary evil or even as a disguised cutback. This research also shows that champions, people who are enthusiastic about an innovation and want to promote it within the organisation, have an important role in pioneering and propagating new technologies and new methods of working.
