Leveraging Digital Health Platforms to Promote Rural Digital Health Service Innovation: The Role of Vertical Knowledge Boundary Spanning

Authors

• Yaqi Huang, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyFollow
• Zhaohua Deng, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• Kai Sun, Shandong University of Finance and Economics
• Junjie Zhou, Shantou UniversityFollow
• Xianming You, Pingyin County People's Hospital

Author ORCID Identifier

Yaqi Huang: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8641-9669

Zhaohua Deng: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7744-7818

Kai Sun: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4911-8830

Junjie Zhou: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7996-9548

Abstract

Digital platforms are widely used to facilitate health service innovation, particularly in rural areas, yet their success is impeded by knowledge boundaries among different stakeholders. Prior studies have explored how digital technologies support horizontal knowledge boundary spanning by representing, translating and integrating various knowledge. The question of how to leverage digital technologies to span vertical knowledge boundaries and support rural health service innovation remains under-explored. To address this question, we conducted a single case study based on Pingyin County Medical Alliance in China. We summarized three mechanisms of using digital platforms to span vertical knowledge boundaries: enabling inclusive participation, empowering hierarchical interactions, and harmonizing multi-level service integration. These three mechanisms respectively foster service innovation in technology, interaction, and delivery. This study contributes to the research on technology use for rural development and knowledge boundary spanning.

Recommended Citation

Huang, Y., Deng, Z., Sun, K., Zhou, J., & You, X. (In press). Leveraging Digital Health Platforms to Promote Rural Digital Health Service Innovation: The Role of Vertical Knowledge Boundary Spanning. Information Technology for Development.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/itd/vol32/iss3/21