Opinion piece: Digital transformation is about more than just technology

Digitization in health and care services requires a knowledge-based approach to building strong structures for working in new ways

Faced with an increasing elderly population and a shortage of personnel in the health and care services, digitization has been presented as one of the solutions. Despite rapid technological developments, it has proven challenging to successfully implement such solutions.

Digitization in health and care services involves more than just purchasing technological equipment. It requires a knowledge-based approach to building effective structures for working in new ways within healthcare services.

Vestvågøy, a mid-sized municipality in Lofoten with 11,600 inhabitants, has established itself as a key player in the Knowledge Municipality Health and Care North, aligning with KS's initiative to develop municipal research clusters. This is a municipal cluster where other municipalities in Lofoten also participate.

The aim is for residents to be offered knowledge-based services as a result of collaboration between municipalities and various research institutions in networks to strengthen research, innovation, and knowledge development.

Vestvågøy municipality is now leading the research project DIVA – Digital First Choice in a District Municipality – where the goal is to facilitate increased digitization in health and care services.

DIVA is a collaborative project between Vestvågøy municipality, Nordland Research Institute, Molde University College, the Health Innovation Center, and the technology company Aidn.

The research project employs action research, meaning that the municipality's employees and researchers develop new knowledge together through active co-creation processes and the use of service design.

To offer services in residents' own homes supported by digital tools, the project's preliminary results show that it is necessary to implement complex change processes. These processes involve questions about how the municipality can be organized to ensure interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration and the shift to team-based and person-centered work methods.

Examples of municipal needs identified through the DIVA project included the establishment of an interdisciplinary intervention team, capacity building, and close leadership support.

There was also a need for technological upgrades and for viewing "ICT" as a broad shared resource, rather than a specialized department with niche expertise.

So far, the project's results indicate that leaders who have the freedom to act and are able to involve both employees and other relevant stakeholders are key to preparing the municipality for digital transformation. Close cooperation between leaders, employees with different professional expertise, and representatives from user groups is central to developing a sustainable service model.

As part of its long-term strategy, Vestvågøy municipality has hired its own researchers. This capacity has been organized into an active knowledge environment with a unit for research, development, and innovation. They are co-located with the Development Center for Nursing Homes and Home Services and the municipal collaboration secretariat leader in the Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Salten Health Partnership.

Vestvågøy, as a mid-sized municipality, demonstrates that it is possible for a district municipality to build capacity to develop practice-based knowledge. The unit for research, development, and innovation is a key contributor to translating already developed knowledge into practice for quality improvement and service development at all levels in the municipality.

Vestvågøy stands out in the municipal sector, serving as an example municipality for both smaller municipalities and larger city municipalities.

Key prerequisites for success have been the alignment of political and administrative direction and the utilization of the (research) competence already present in the municipality, which has been reorganized.

Good collaborative structures with key academic environments have also been crucial for success.

The work on the "digital transformation" of Vestvågøy municipality continues, and the experiences will be summarized and ready for publication by 2025.

The opinion piece is written by:

Trude Anita Hartviksen, Vestvågøy municipality
Trond Bliksvær, Nordland Research Institute
Trude Fløystad Eines, Molde University College
Merete Kvamme Fabritius, Nordland Research Institute
Cecilie Katrine Utheim Grønvik, Molde University College
Solrun Holm, Vestvågøy municipality
Raj Kumar Thapa, Nordland Research Institute
Finn Robert Verlo, Health Innovation Center
Heidi Wiik, Vestvågøy municipality