ICT in Healthcare Management, Developments, and Applications in Turkish Health Sector

Introduction

The delivery of healthcare has always been influenced by technological developments and innovations (Kluge, 2011).The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), make contribution to services for the decision-making process and skilled healthcare professionals. Comprehensive knowledge of patients/clients is essential contributors to the health projects (Kouri, Karjalainen-Jurvelin, & Kinnunen, 2005). In integrated healthcare, professionals from different organizations work together in a team-oriented way to provide high quality care for a patient (Hägglund, Scandurra, & Koch, 2010). This situation requires high quality of collaborative working relationships, clarity and commonality of objectives, frequent communication among team members, a clear understanding and respect of individual roles and skills within the team, and general flexibility of practitioners (Paquette-Warren, Vingilis, Greenslade, & Newnam, 2006). Healthcare professionals work in an increasingly team-oriented environment, creating a need for development of computer supported cooperative work (Scandurra, Hägglund, & Koch, 2008). Healthcare professionals, including consultants, doctors and nurses, are engaged in what is seen as a health plan for improving the health services. The information-intensive nature of the healthcare industry and the potential of Information Technology (IT) to reduce costs and improve quality of services have increased the focus on IT-based innovations (Sunyoung & Mathiassen, 2007). Electronic communication and data-processing are by no means a new phenomenon in general practice. The raising public expectations, new health technologies, and changing patterns of population needs related to demographic transitions is experienced in every country. Health sector management has the task of confronting these challenges and pursuing effectiveness, efficiency, and equity in the use of limited resources. Financial details differ markedly between countries; it is becoming more noticeable that the central problems of health sectors show a resemblance. Managers perform effectiveness, they attempt to persuade others that through their expertise, they will be able to exert control over others (who are typically situated within an organization) so that desired outcomes are achieved and resources are used efficiently. Healthcare absorbs such a large proportion of public finances that it is not surprising the health system has not escaped cutbacks. There is a pressing need to review healthcare practices to improve hospital operations and bolster their efficiency and effectiveness. Improved operations should provide better cost control, while maintaining the quality of care delivered to the public. Support processes are excellent targets because they do not necessarily have a direct impact on the quality of care provided. Hospital logistics is one such process, the goal of which is to efficiently deliver medical supplies and pharmaceutical products to the final consumer, patient. The costs of current hospital practices and their impact on the quality of care could be evaluated.