Towards smart city planning from a healthcare perspective: A South Africa-based theoretical model

Abstract

Background: Rapid urbanisation in cities such as Johannesburg has caused severe congestion, pollution and issues related to accessing city services such as healthcare. The Joburg 2040 growth plan responds to these challenges through uplifting Johannesburg to a smart city by 2040.
Objectives: To determine how Johannesburg can achieve the Joburg 2040 growth plan objectives and to reach smart city status from a healthcare technology perspective.
Method: Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with public healthcare professionals in Gauteng, South Africa, to better understand digital health systems and processes related to emergency patient care and hospital occupancy.
Results: A qualitative interpretive analysis involving three cycles of coding led to the identification of 214 codes, 16 network relationships and six themes (connect disparate systems, combine data, communicate in real time, collaborate on patient care, cooperate on long-term objectives and contain security threats). The themes were incorporated into a theoretical model (theoretical model for achieving smartness in healthcare), associating the six themes and a Live Healthcare Console, a system which was conceptualised in previous research.
Conclusion: For Johannesburg to become a smart city from a healthcare perspective, system designers should start by connecting disparate healthcare systems which would then enable downstream processes.
Contribution: This research considers smartness from a healthcare perspective and contributes a theoretical model which can be used as a reference for implementing a smart healthcare system.