Optimizing Digital Health Systems in Clinical Care through a Healthcare Provider Experience Approach
Keywords:
Clinical care, Digital health systems, Healthcare provider experience, Human-centered digital health, Sociotechnical systemsAbstract
This study aims to explore healthcare providers’ experiences in optimizing digital health systems in clinical care. Digital health systems have become essential in healthcare transformation, but their implementation often creates tensions between efficiency, documentation demands, workflow changes, and provider-patient interaction. This study used a qualitative multiple-case study design conducted in three healthcare facilities in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, consisting of a regional public hospital, a private type-C hospital, and an urban public health center. Data were collected from 24 to 30 healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory staff, medical record officers, information technology support staff, and clinical service managers. The study used semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and document review. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings identified five main themes: faster access to patient information, increased digital documentation burden, changing patterns of clinical communication, unequal digital competence, and the importance of continuous organizational support. These findings show that digital health optimization is not merely a technical process, but a sociotechnical and human-centered process shaped by workflow, professional roles, organizational readiness, and user experience. The study contributes to the understanding of digital health implementation by positioning healthcare provider experience as a key factor in improving system usability, patient safety, and clinical service quality. Further research is recommended to compare experiences across urban and rural facilities and to examine the impact of digital workload on healthcare provider performance.
References
Ahmed, S. K. (2024). The pillars of trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2, 100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100051
Brommeyer, M., & Liang, Z. (2022). A systematic approach in developing management workforce readiness for digital health transformation in healthcare. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 13843. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113843
Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56, 1391–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y
Canfell, O. J., Davidson, K., Woods, L., Sullivan, C., & Burton-Jones, A. (2024). The impact of digital hospitals on patient and clinician experience: Systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e47715. https://doi.org/10.2196/47715
Catapan, S. C., von Huben, A., O’Sullivan, B., & de Abreu Lourenco, R. (2025). A systematic review of consumers’ and healthcare professionals’ trust in digital healthcare. npj Digital Medicine, 8, 358. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01510-8
Cermak, C. A., Read, H., & Jeffs, L. (2024). Health care professionals’ experiences with using information and communication technologies in patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative study. JMIR Formative Research, 8, e53056. https://doi.org/10.2196/53056
Craig, K. J. T., Willis, V. C., Gruen, D., Rhee, K., Jackson, G. P., & Kashyap, N. (2021). The burden of the digital environment: A systematic review on organization-directed workplace interventions to mitigate physician burnout. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(5), 985–997. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocaa301
Erfani, G., McCready, J., Gibson, B., Nichol, B., Unsworth, J., Jarva, E., Mikkonen, K., & Tomietto, M. (2025). Factors influencing digital health competence among healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study. Applied Nursing Research, 82, 151922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151922
Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors International, 2, 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117
Im, D., Pyo, J., Lee, H., Jung, H., & Ock, M. (2023). Qualitative research in healthcare: Data analysis. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 56(2), 100–110. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.22.471
Khairat, S., Chourasia, P., Muellers, K. A., Andreadis, K., Lin, J. J., & Ancker, J. S. (2023). Patient and provider recommendations for improved telemedicine user experience in primary care: A multi-center qualitative study. Telemedicine Reports, 4(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmr.2023.0002
Kruse, C. S., Krowski, N., Rodriguez, B., Tran, L., Vela, J., & Brooks, M. (2020). Telehealth and patient satisfaction: A systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ Open, 10(8), e036249. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036249
Michelen, M., van den Berg, P., Oliver, K., & Renedo, A. (2024). A guide to a team-based approach with flexible coding in qualitative public health research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241289279. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241289279
Nguyen, K. H., Wright, C., Simpson, D., Woods, L., Comans, T., & Sullivan, C. (2022). Economic evaluation and analyses of hospital-based electronic medical records: A scoping review of international literature. npj Digital Medicine, 5, 29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00565-1
Ogundaini, O., de la Harpe, R., & McLean, N. (2022). The interplay between technology performativity and health care professionals in hospital settings: Service design approach. JMIR Formative Research, 6(1), e23236. https://doi.org/10.2196/23236
Okeke, E. B., Idowu, A., & Adejumo, O. (2025). Barriers and facilitators to digital health adoption: A thematic analysis of healthcare professionals’ perspectives. BMC Digital Health, 3, 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-025-00227-8
Pyo, J., Lee, W., Choi, E. Y., Jang, S. G., & Ock, M. (2023). Qualitative research in healthcare: Necessity and characteristics. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 56(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.22.451
Rana, K., Karim, K., & Thigpen, C. A. (2023). Qualitative methodology in translational health research: Current practices and future directions. Healthcare, 11(19), 2665. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11192665
Robles-Aguilar, P., Ruiz-Fernández, M. D., & Bermudo-Fuenmayor, S. (2025). Digital health experiences of primary care nurses: A qualitative meta-synthesis. International Nursing Review, 72(3), e70069. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.70069
Svenzén, E., & Eldh, A. C. (2023). Digital communication in primary care: A qualitative descriptive study of patient interviews considering person-centred care. Digital Health, 9, 20552076221100945. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221100945
Taneja, S., Bell, D., & Cresswell, K. (2025). Exploring the impact of an electronic health record implementation on hospital staff: A qualitative study. BMJ Open, 15(4), e095771. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-095771
Wosny, M., Strasser, L. M., & Hastings, J. (2023). Experience of health care professionals using digital tools in the hospital: Qualitative systematic review. JMIR Human Factors, 10, e50357. https://doi.org/10.2196/50357
Wosny, M., Strasser, L. M., & Hastings, J. (2024). The paradoxes of digital tools in hospitals: Qualitative interview study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e56095. https://doi.org/10.2196/56095
Wosny, M., Strasser, L. M., Kraehenmann, S., & Hastings, J. (2024). Practical recommendations for navigating digital tools in hospitals: Qualitative interview study. JMIR Human Factors, 11, e60031. https://doi.org/10.2196/60031
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




