Modelling Resource Configurations in Ict-Enabled Service Systems

Abstract

Telehealth, the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to support care delivery at a distance, is increasingly used in health systems worldwide. A service system is defined as a configuration of people, technologies, and other resources that interact with other service systems to create mutual value. Adopting a service system perspective thus allows understanding a telehealth service as an ICT-enabled service system.

Adequately configuring resources, both tangible (e.g., hardware) and intangible (e.g., knowledge), is key to co-creating value through service systems. However, existing service system engineering methods and tools are not yet able to comprehensively capture the nature, role, and status of resources within service systems. In particular, while conceptual modelling is recognized as an excellent tool of understanding, designing, and monitoring for service engineering, existing conceptual modelling notations have limited abilities to express configurations of resources.

In order to address this gap, the following research objectives are proposed: 1) Develop a conceptual framework of resource configurations as the basis for further developing a metamodel of resource configurations; 2) Develop a metamodel of resource configurations in ICT-enabled service systems that can formally express the constructs, relationships, and constraints within the domain of resource configurations; 3) Demonstrate and evaluate the metamodel by conducting a multiple-case study in the field of telehealth. This study will focus on telehealth as a representative instance of ICT-enabled service systems.

The research design is guided by the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM). DSRM provides a well-structured process for developing and evaluating information systems artifacts, such as the proposed metamodel, that can solve practical problems while contributing to a knowledge base. A multiple-case study of telehealth services at a Canadian hospital will support the evaluation and refinement of the metamodel.

The results of this research project include both conceptual and practical contributions. The metamodel of resource configurations derived from the reviewed literature and conceptual framework will provide a formal understanding of resource configurations in ICT-enabled service systems. The metamodel may also be adopted as a tool for professionals to capture and analyze resource configurations in the domain of ICT-enabled services such as telehealth.