This is the second Call for Papers for a Special Issue of
the "International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management" (IJHTM)
on “The application of Internet-based information and communication
technologies to healthcare”

Please forward to colleagues who may be interested.  Apologies for crosss
posting.


Call for papers

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (IJHTM)

Special Issue on “The application of Internet-based information and
communication technologies to healthcare”



Background
Healthcare providers and funders worldwide are under increasing pressure to
deliver better services more cost effectively.  Many are turning to
Internet-based information and communication technologies (ICTs) to help
them achieve this in clinical as well as administrative areas.  The
application of the technologies of e-commerce to healthcare (often referred
to as ‘e-health’) is leading to significant innovations in healthcare
delivery and management.  Whilst these new technologies represent a great
opportunity, they can also present major challenges. Healthcare
organisations operate in environments that are typically dynamic and
complex, involving a multiplicity of stakeholders.  They can be affected by
a broad range of economic, technological, socio-cultural and political
factors.  Implementing Internet-based ICTs requires considerable financial
investment, not just in ICT but in changing processes and people.  Such use
of what may be a hard-pressed capital budget requires the presentation of a
convincing economic justification. Integrating Internet-based ICTs with
existing legacy systems may be a considerable technological challenge. The
adoption of Internet-based systems is likely to change the nature of
communications and relationships within the network of interdependent
professionals and organisations through which healthcare is often
delivered.  The interplay of all these factors only serves to heighten the
challenge to healthcare technologists and managers.  This special issue
aims to explore the impact of the application of Internet-based ICTs on
healthcare delivery and management.

Topics for the special issue
Articles covering the following topics (but not limited to them) are
welcome for this special issue
· The technological challenges of applying Internet-based ICTs in
healthcare.
· Integrating Internet-based ICT systems with existing processes and
systems.
· The financial and economic implications of Internet-based ICTs in
healthcare.
· The human resource management implications of Internet-based ICTs
in healthcare
· Socio-cultural and political factors affecting the application of
Internet-based ICTs in healthcare.
· The impact of Internet-based ICTs on healthcare supply networks.
· The impact of Internet-based ICTs on relationships within
healthcare delivery systems.
· Performance measurement and evaluation of Internet-based ICT
systems in healthcare.

Information for authors
Manuscripts should be submitted via email to the Guest Editor as a
Microsoft word document, Times New Roman 12, double-spaced.  For more
details see www.inderscience.com/editorial.html.  Submission deadline for
this special issue is 31st May 2004. All submissions will be subject to a
double-blind review process.  Authors will be notified of acceptance by
31st July 2004.  Final papers for publication must be submitted by 30th
September 2004.  Expected publication of the special issue is March 2005.

Guest Editor:
Dr David Barnes,
School of Management
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham, Surrey
TW20 0EX
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1784 414348
Fax: +44 (0)1784 439854
Email: [log in to unmask]