In just the past few years, digital technologies (DTs) have become from a new experimental concept to an integral part of modern healthcare. There is a change in the paradigm of medical care organization — a shift from the medical care provision within the walls of medical provider (MP) to its delivery at the patient’s location. Due to the rapid spread of DTs in practice of medical care provision, changes are occurring in the organizational and technological structure of the MP network.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of technology-driven changes in the network of medical providers and their organizational structure.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A step-by-step methodological approach was applied within the frame of the study. The approach involved search, analysis and systematization of foreign and domestic scientific publications and data on organizational network changes in the healthcare landscape, as well as constraining factors of DTs implementation the integration of into MPs activities and ways to overcome them.
RESULTS
Development of DTs has contributed to the emergence of new modalities of medical care delivery. Virtual models that allow to provide medical care where and when the patient needs it have become increasingly widespread. Change in the modalities of medical care delivery leads to a change in the organizational network landscape of healthcare. As a result of the DTs implementation, new types of MPs emerge: virtual MPs, smart MPs, reference centers, etc. There are changes in the organizational and technological structure of state and private MPs, which provide for the creation of units focused on providing remote medical services. The speed of the changes is determined by a number of restrictions.
CONCLUSION
Changes due to the implementation of digital technologies in medical care delivery models predetermine to the greatest extent the organizational and technological changes in landscape of the medical provider network and their internal structure. To ensure more effective structural transformations, it is necessary to take into account the multidimensional nature of the process of introducing digital technologies into healthcare, covering technical, legal, human resources, economic and ethical issues.
