TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards responsible digital health implementation
T2 - A mixed-methods exploratory study developing a tool to assess workforce experience
AU - Tom, Bazuin
AU - Oerbekke, Michiel Sebastiaan
AU - Heus, Pauline
AU - Kusters, Mike Petrus Theodora
AU - Dongelmans, Dave Anton
AU - Visser, Annelies
AU - Franx, Arie
AU - Wietasch, Johann Klaus Götz
AU - Hooft, Lotty
AU - van der Laan, Maarten Jurriaan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - BACKGROUND: Digital health technologies (DHTs) are increasingly implemented to improve efficiency, quality, and patient experience. However, conditions that could influence the impact on well-being of healthcare professionals (HCPs) are rarely assessed.OBJECTIVE: To develop a tool to support policymakers, hospital administrators, and implementation teams in considering workforce experience and well-being implications of DHTs on HCPs.METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted in three Dutch university medical centres. First, we re-analysed a scoping review on DHT-implementation, applying criteria focusing on HCP-related determinants and thematically analysing these within a modified Work-System model and Quintuple Aim framework. Second, we conducted a prioritisation survey using the Reweighted Priority-Setting tool to rank themes related to
Care-team well-being, one of the Quintuple Aim domains. Third, we explored the highest-ranked themes in focus-groups and interviews with HCPs and stakeholders. Finally, we synthesised findings into a tool.
RESULTS: From 73 eligible studies we extracted determinants, generating themes and subthemes, of which 44 mapped to
Care-team well-being, and were used as survey items. Twelve respondents (eight HCPs and four policy-staff) prioritised these. Top-ranked themes included perceived benefits, acceptance, involvement in development and implementation, 'champions', training and skills, communication, and role clarity. Analysis of two focus-groups and three interviews yielded six domains: acceptance, champions, process and development, role of the professional, communication, and training. These informed a 14-item checklist for use during DHT-implementation.
CONCLUSION: We developed a reflective checklist to support structured consideration of conditions shaping workforce experience in DHT-implementation. The tool offers a starting point for embedding workforce conditions in DHT-governance.
AB - BACKGROUND: Digital health technologies (DHTs) are increasingly implemented to improve efficiency, quality, and patient experience. However, conditions that could influence the impact on well-being of healthcare professionals (HCPs) are rarely assessed.OBJECTIVE: To develop a tool to support policymakers, hospital administrators, and implementation teams in considering workforce experience and well-being implications of DHTs on HCPs.METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted in three Dutch university medical centres. First, we re-analysed a scoping review on DHT-implementation, applying criteria focusing on HCP-related determinants and thematically analysing these within a modified Work-System model and Quintuple Aim framework. Second, we conducted a prioritisation survey using the Reweighted Priority-Setting tool to rank themes related to
Care-team well-being, one of the Quintuple Aim domains. Third, we explored the highest-ranked themes in focus-groups and interviews with HCPs and stakeholders. Finally, we synthesised findings into a tool.
RESULTS: From 73 eligible studies we extracted determinants, generating themes and subthemes, of which 44 mapped to
Care-team well-being, and were used as survey items. Twelve respondents (eight HCPs and four policy-staff) prioritised these. Top-ranked themes included perceived benefits, acceptance, involvement in development and implementation, 'champions', training and skills, communication, and role clarity. Analysis of two focus-groups and three interviews yielded six domains: acceptance, champions, process and development, role of the professional, communication, and training. These informed a 14-item checklist for use during DHT-implementation.
CONCLUSION: We developed a reflective checklist to support structured consideration of conditions shaping workforce experience in DHT-implementation. The tool offers a starting point for embedding workforce conditions in DHT-governance.
KW - HCP
KW - artificial intelligence < general
KW - digital health < general
KW - healthcare professional
KW - impact
KW - tool
KW - wellbeing
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105044302294
U2 - 10.1177/20552076261450419
DO - 10.1177/20552076261450419
M3 - Article
C2 - 42416391
SN - 2055-2076
VL - 12
SP - 1
EP - 14
JO - Digital health
JF - Digital health
ER -