From digitization to more administration? : How information systems affect routines and the distribution of administrative work

Abstract: The healthcare sector is facing several challenges. One of them is that administrative tasks are being pushed into the core operation. This has led to a new concept arising, called “elevation”. This concept has not been analyzed from the field of information systems (IS) before, therefore the aim of the research is to investigate how the distribution of administrative work changes when introducing a new information system in the healthcare sector. To further understand the transformation brought by the introduction of a new IS, this study has also investigated the routine changes for healthcare staff. This study has been conducted using a case study with a regional government in Sweden. Hospital sites and the IT support function have been part of the case. The findings show that the new IS has digitized and slightly changed routine. Furthermore, the new IS has contributed to elevation. By making work easier, flexible and creating more shared responsibility, simpler, administrative tasks have been handed over to core staff. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of what happens to the distribution of administrated tasks when introducing a new IS.