Digital transformation
Digital Health and AI
Definition. Digital transformation is the organisation-wide change in processes, services, culture and business models that follows the adoption of digital technologies.
Explanation
In hospitals it goes beyond digitising paper: it redesigns workflows around data, connected devices and new forms of care. Expert scenarios suggest that the future of hospital digitisation depends as much on organisation and regulation as on technology (Koebe & Bohnet-Joschko, 2023). Generative AI has added a new wave of change across health, education and the economy (Madsen & Toston, 2025).
Transformation can also widen gaps. Services that move online need parallel strategies for digital inclusion, as shown in work on preventing drug-related deaths (Daneshvar et al., 2024). Success is usually measured by changes in access, quality, staff experience and efficiency, not by the number of systems installed.
Related concepts
Digital divide Telehealth Electronic health record (EHR) Change management Interoperability
Read on The Health Topics
- Hospital Digitization Futures: A Delphi Scenario Study
- ChatGPT: Transforming Health, Education, and Economy
- The Concept of Digital Inclusion: A Conceptual and Integrative Introduction from the Perspective of Health Sciences and Health Management
References
Daneshvar, H., Carver, H., Strachan, G., Greenhalgh, J., & Matheson, C. (2024). From digital inclusion to digital transformation in the prevention of drug-related deaths in Scotland: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, Article e52345. https://doi.org/10.2196/52345
Koebe, P., & Bohnet-Joschko, S. (2023). What’s next in hospital digitization? A Delphi‑based scenario study. European Journal of Futures Research, 11 (10). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40309‑023‑00222‑0
Madsen, D. Ø., & Toston, D. M., II. (2025). ChatGPT and digital transformation: A narrative review of its role in health, education, and the economy. Digital, 5(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/digital5030024
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Digital transformation. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/digital-transformation/