IT Governance for m-Health and e-Health Applications

Background: The increasing use of e-Health applications in clinical practices is pushing the limits of Health Information Technology. e-Health applications are often considered as integrated healthcare applications that are purposely developed to not only support electronic health information exchange but also to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery. However ,even as these applications continue to evolve and remain widespread in use in many clinicians’ offices, the applicability of proper Information Technology (IT) governance structure for their utilization remains a big challenge in the healthcare industry. Objectives: In this paper, a literature review is used to explore the applicability of IT governance in e-Health applications. The practical and research implications for establishing IT governance structure in e-Health applications are also discussed. Materials and Methods : A literature review, based on research articles from 2000 to 2016, was used to explore the applicability of IT governance in e-Health and m-Health applications. The methodology involves a systematic review of relevant publications, found and accessed with the help of ProQuest (with multiple databases option) and EBSCO host databases. Additional sources were retrieved using the Science Direct, PubMed and ACM digital libraries. The targeted search terms consisted of the combination of keywords and/or phrases including: (a) e-health, (b) IT governance, (c) e-health applications, (d) m-Health (e)strategic alignment, (f) risk management, (g) performance management, and (h) data control AND accountability. Studies were included in the analysis if they reported on e-Health applications and m-Health and IT governance. Results In the healthcare domain, development and maintenance of effective IT control and accountability can only be achieved with the institution of proper audit trails, policies and regulations regarding the accessibility of personalized health information. Healthcare providers and public health agencies can improve accountability by “establishing the capacity to create a precise audit trail that determines who has accessed a record, when the record was accessed, and what changes if any were made to the record”. Conclusion: This paper has explored the applicability of IT governance in e-Health applications. Stakeholders in the healthcare industry are all impacted by IT and must all be considered regarding IT governance issues. Successful implementation of IT governance by healthcare IT leaders will stimulate an environment in which creativity and technological innovations could flourish among healthcare IT professionals in the healthcare industry. It is, therefore, recommended that an e-Health governance framework is established for not only managing the strategic alignment and performance of e-Health systems but also minimizing the security risks and vulnerabilities associated with the use of e-Health applications. The establishment and appropriate utilization of e-Health governance framework will ensure that the business value of e-Health systems is properly delivered with appropriate IT solutions.