More Information Continuity Through Health Networks? Barriers to Implementation and Use of Health IT.

Wound networks, as a voluntary structure formed by interdisciplinary health professionals, have the capacity to improve the continuity of care. Health IT systems (HIT) might be able to support these networks ensuring the information continuity in this process but electronic networking usually fails. The aim of this qualitative study is to examine the barriers why the networks do not take this step and possible approaches on how to overcome them. Based on interviews with 11 managers of wound networks 13 barriers could be detected which can be assigned to the main categories personal, financial, technical and legal barriers. It becomes clear that networks as voluntary bottom-up movements cannot increase the information continuity and hence also not the continuity of care on their own. This requires an overall concept. However, according to health experts, this must be drawn up, financed and above all coordinated by policy makers. In addition, these experts postulate structural guidelines for a cooperation in networks as well as nationally binding processes and standards in wound care. These guidelines and processes should then be mapped in a mandatory central HIT.