Beyond contact-tracing: The public value of eHealth application in a pandemic

Gerli, Paolo; Arakpogun, Emmanuel Ogiemwonyi; Elsahn, Ziad; Olan, Femi; Prime, Karla Simone

Abstract

This study adopts a public value perspective to examine the eHealth services deployed by national and regional governments to contain the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, including symptoms checkers, information portals and contact-tracing applications. We analyse 50 cases of eHealth applications adopted in 25 European Economic Area (EEA) and outline how these systems and technologies map against four dimensions of public value: user orientation, participation, legality and equity. Our findings reveal that the public value of the eHealth applications adopted in the context of the current pandemic is affected by both endogenous and exogenous factors that undermine their ability to improve the quality of healthcare services and social wellbeing. We conclude by suggesting areas for further research to address such factors and the trade-offs emerging between different dimensions of public value.

Citation

Gerli, P., Arakpogun, E. O., Elsahn, Z., Olan, F., & Prime, K. S. (2021). Beyond contact-tracing: The public value of eHealth application in a pandemic. Government Information Quarterly, 38(3), Article 101581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2021.101581

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 25, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 20, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 20, 2021
• Journal: Government Information Quarterly
• Print ISSN: 0740-624X
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 3
• Article Number: 101581
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2021.101581
• Keywords: eHealth applications, European Economic Area, Contact-tracing, Covid-19, Pandemic, Public value
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2773965