Responsible digital transformation in rural primary healthcare services: critical factors from a Norwegian case study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the critical factors that shape the potential for co-creating and implementing a virtual department for home-based healthcare in a rural municipality. METHODS: A qualitative case study was conducted in a rural municipality in Northern Norway. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and co-creation workshops involving healthcare leaders, frontline staff, service users and relatives, and representative from the pensioners' federation. Thematic analysis was applied to identify organisational, contextual, and cultural factors influencing digital transformation. RESULTS: While the co-creation of virtual department for home-based healthcare showed potential for piloting, readiness for full implementation was limited. Six critical factors were identified: structural readiness, digital competence, technology in practice, cultural change, autonomy and care, and motivation and dedication. These factors highlight the importance of organisational culture, workforce capacity, and stakeholder engagement in shaping readiness for responsible digital transformation. CONCLUSION: Digital transformation holds potential for addressing healthcare challenges in rural municipalities, but success depends on more than technological efficacy. Effective coordination between bottom-up and top-down approaches is required to ensure responsible and sustainable transformation of primary healthcare services.