Cloud Readiness of German Hospitals: Development and Application of an Evaluation Scale
Year: 2024
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the context of the telematics infrastructure, new data usage regulations, and the growing potential of artificial intelligence, cloud computing plays a key role in driving the digitalization in the German hospital sector. METHODS: Against this background, the study aims to develop and validate a scale for assessing the cloud readiness of German hospitals. It uses the TPOM (Technology, People, Organization, Macro-Environment) framework to create a scoring system. A survey involving 110 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) from German hospitals was conducted, followed by an exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing to refine the items, resulting in a final set of 30 items. RESULTS: The analysis confirmed the statistical robustness and identified key factors contributing to cloud readiness. These include IT security in the dimension "technology", collaborative research and acceptance for the need to make high quality data available in the dimension "people", scalability of IT resources in the dimension "organization", and legal aspects in the dimension "macroenvironment". The macroenvironment dimension emerged as particularly stable, highlighting the critical role of regulatory compliance in the healthcare sector. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a certain degree of cloud readiness among German hospitals, with potential for improvement in all four dimensions. Systemically, legal requirements and a challenging political environment are top concerns for CIOs, impacting their cloud readiness.
DOI: 10.3233/shti240832
Authors: Anne Holtz, Jan-David Liebe
Language: English
Subfield: Health Information Management
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4402279474