Relating digitalization and quality management in health care organizations: A systematic review

Quality management has been established in health care organizations as an important management function for internal quality measurement and external quality reporting. Digitalization processes have recently gained momentum with uncertain outcomes for health care organizations, quality, and the role of quality management.

We conduct a systematic review to answer the questions of how the introduction of digital technologies affects quality management as a management function, how quality management is affecting digitalization, which quality management topics are addressed, and which competencies are needed during digitalization.

Four databases were searched from 2000 to January 2022. Both empirical and conceptual articles reporting on digital technologies and quality management as a management function, quality reporting, or risk management were included. The studies included were analyzed based on the PICOS and PRISMA approaches.

A total of 20 out of 662 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results show that both quality management as a management function as well as the digitalization of quality managements' own work processes are barely visible in the existing research. Only parts of the core tasks of quality management are discussed in connection with digitalization. Core competencies relevant for digitalization processes and quality management are identified.

Quality managers require knowledge of digital technologies in order to develop and implement them to support their own work processes and the work processes of health care organizations in general. Currently, research is not guiding this process, which makes it important for quality managers to be able to access local knowledge. In addition, professional associations should develop skill catalogs for quality management education.