Configurational paths to quality and efficiency in healthcare: Role of policies, incentives, process, and it capabilities

The main objective of this research in progress is to investigate the combined impact of external and internal factors on healthcare service delivery in terms of quality and efficiency. External factors such as government policies encourage adoption of common standards through regulations as well as incentive programs. Internally, a care provider must possess a certain level of process maturity and technology capability in order to achieve operational efficiency. We propose to use a configurational (asymmetric) approach as opposed to a net effects (symmetric) approach to understand the paths of the combined conditions' presence or absence to achieve the outcome condition. The final product of our research would be a typology of healthcare providers based on a combination of empirical and qualitative case analysis.