The Role of Politics in Digital Transformation of Healthcare: A Developing Country Context

Abstract

This paper argues that the digital transformation of healthcare requires governmental interventions and a radical approach to change in highly political environments, in a developing country context. We conduct a longitudinal case study of the implementation of the national e-health platform in North Macedonia, connecting primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare services. Our findings show how the implementation of the national e-health platform drove disruptive changes to healthcare service delivery, followed by incremental organizational and technological adaptations. We contribute to the literature on digital transformation by emphasizing the role of politics in driving changes in digital transformation processes.