The Use of E-Tools in Health Care Management for Social Safety and Security in Poland
Purpose: This research aims to present digital solutions used in health care for social safety and security, which are applied on a large scale by both patients and medical staff, improving management in health care and healthcare security. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research focuses on the analysis of the e-tools that were implemented in Polish healthcare system in order to improve: the functioning of healthcare, accessibility to healthcare services and the quality of healthcare delivery for social safety. The analysis in the article shows the increasing interest of e-tools among healthcare providers and patients. The article also highlights the advantages of implementing innovation e-tools in healthcare from the perspective of the patient, medical staff and the safety system as a whole, and highlights the challenges and threats of the digitalisation of healthcare. In order to achieve the study aims and answers the research questions the following research methods were used: a critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of science literature and websites presenting digital solutions for the national health care system, an analysis of source materials and statistical data of the e-Health Center. Findings: The digitization of health and the use of e-tools in healthcare are crucial for the development of healthcare in Poland, from the point of view of patients, medical staff, and people involved in creating the healthcare system. The numerical data referred to in the article indicate the high use of e-tools and their growing popularity among patients and healthcare entities, although their functioning is often not without problems or drawbacks. The study presents a description of e-tools implemented in the Polish healthcare system. The described e-tools include: e-prescription, e-referral, Electronic Medical Documentation and Medical Events, the Internet Patient Account application (pacjent.gov.pl), and the MojeIKP mobile application. Practical Implications: The article attempted to cover an expansive subject area of digitalization in healthcare system and its impact on higher quality, better accessibility to healthcare services and, summing up, ensuring the proper healthcare security. Undoubtedly, the tools offered to patients and healthcare providers improve the quality of service provision, create a more participant-friendly healthcare system, however, they need to be constantly modernized, upgraded and secured against cyber-attacks. Originality/Value: A key factor influencing future healthcare services delivering will be the implementation of a new and modern, often innovative, technical and technological solutions. The wide spectrum of current, as well as continuously evolving, modern e-tools, computer systems, applications, communication systems, and intelligent solutions by internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligent (AI) and augmented reality (AR) in the field of digitalisation have laid the foundation for creating and developing modern healthcare systems.