The Role of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Fostering the Adoption and Diffusion of Telehealth in the UK

Telehealth promises to increase efficiency in health care, particularly, by cutting costs in the care of patients affected by chronic diseases (e.g. by reducing number of hospital visits/admissions). Yet, health service management research has proven that its benefits can hardly be achieved without the necessary level of participation and commitment from various stakeholders. Telehealth scalability requires a new mind-set in the re-organization and delivery of health care services and a re-alignment of interests among NHS and other implementing partners, who have different expectations regarding the value of telehealth. The objective of this research is to understand: the learning process and cultural shifts that relevant CCG members and NHS staff have to cope with in the implementation of telehealth services; the quality of relationships CCGs manage to establish among implementing partners; the potential impact of these relationships on telehealth sustainability and scalability. The research can provide the CCGs and their telehealth partners with a better understanding of how local human resources and management structures should be re-organized and the main cultural change needed to increase telehealth cost-effectiveness. Funding body: British Academy of Management. Value: £3,904.