The Role of Information and Communication Technology in the Social and Healthcare Services Co-production

The constant growth in the importance of services in the economy has been taking place for several decades and has been recognized as one of the most important megatrends in contemporary European societies and economies. This trend is also visible in the public sector, where social and healthcare services are a particularly important area. The consumption of these services not only has the power to enhance the quality of an individuals’ life in their social environment, but also creates human capital, thus contributing to the stimulation of economic growth, social development and civilization progress. Meanwhile, the conjoined effects of the pandemic, an aging population, more complex illnesses, health and social inequality, increased care needs in a fragmented society and a context of declining budgets, as well as the increasing role of technology, has emphasized even more the need for solutions based on networks, collaboration and citizens’ contributions and ICT in the provision of health and social services. One strategy is to introduce service ICT-enabled services co-production. This can result in significant changes in how social and healthcare services are delivered, making them more effective, efficient, inclusive and sustainable. Therefore, this paper investigates the role of information and communication technology as a condition favoring the co-production of social and healthcare services. The conducted research used the following qualitative methods: systematic literature review, the Gioia methodology and in-depth interviews. This resulted in the identification of several co-production drivers related to the development of new technologies, followed by management implications.