Developing a Comprehensive Model for Digital Transformation of Human Resource Management in Iran’s Healthcare System
Keywords:
Digital transformation, Human resource management, Healthcare system, Emerging technologies, Comprehensive model, IranAbstract
This study aimed to design and propose a comprehensive model for digital transformation of human resource management in Iran’s healthcare system. This study employed a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach based on inductive–deductive logic. In the qualitative phase, 20 semi-structured interviews with healthcare and digital experts were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling, and data were analyzed through thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire derived from qualitative findings was distributed among experts and analyzed using the capability–attractiveness matrix. In the structural phase, MICMAC analysis was used to identify key drivers and relationships, and the final model was validated using the Delphi method. The results indicated that the digital readiness of HRM in Iran’s healthcare system is in a transitional stage, with infrastructural, cultural, and skill-related variables significantly influencing transformation success. Five key technologies showed the highest impact. The proposed model consists of four main dimensions (technological, organizational, human–cultural, and legal–policy) across three levels and is implemented in five stages. Scenario analysis revealed that government support and institutional resistance significantly determine transformation outcomes. Successful digital transformation of HRM in healthcare requires simultaneous alignment of technological infrastructure, human capital development, organizational restructuring, and legal frameworks, and the proposed model provides a practical framework for sustainable digital transformation policy and implementation.
Downloads
References
Asadi, F., & Ranjbar, M. (2023). Evaluating the level of digital maturity in hospital human resource management. Journal of Health Development.
Ashrafi, A., Mohaghegh Dolatabadi, M. R., Faghihipour, M., & Darbandi, F. (2022). Designing a comprehensive human resource management model for the country's health and treatment sector in health crisis conditions. Iranian Journal of Health Insurance.
Baihaqy, A., & Subriadi, A. P. (2025). Development of digital transformation model in hospital. Technological Sustainability, 4(1), 1-29.
Barzegar Mohammadi, R. (2022). Digital human resource management. The 5th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Studies in Management and Engineering, Tehran. https://civilica.com/doc/1507309
Bazian, Z., Pirannejad, A., & Nargesian, A. (2022). Identifying the necessary contexts for the digitalization of human resource management processes (Case study: Asan Pardakht Company, Tehran). Human Resource Studies, 11(4), 97-128.
Devi, P. R., Shaikh, M., Babu, S. B. T., Yadav, N., Sugandha, S., & Garg, K. (2025). AI-Powered Workforce Analytics for Human Resource Planning and Optimization. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 215-221.
Emily, H., & Oliver, B. (2022). Human Capital Management 2.0: Cloud-Driven Innovations for Workforce Optimization. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 6(6), 2361-2377.
Fokina, O., Goncharenko, L., Sobol, T., Mottaeva, A., & Mottaeva, A. (2024). Digital design in the HRM system as a component of the sustainable development strategy. Bio Web of Conferences,
Goodarzi, H., Jazani, N., & Hasanpour, A. (2023). Presenting a digital transformation model for human resource management in Iranian government organizations. Studies in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 10(2), 303-316.
Heidari, A., Yazdani, H., Hakim, A., Zarei Matin, H., & Babashahi, J. (2025). Presenting a digital transformation roadmap in human resources with a meta-synthesis approach. Organizational Resources Management Research, 12(4), 97-118.
Javadian, R., Molaei, K., Mahmoudzadeh Sagheb, Z., & Dinari, F. (2025). Electronic human resource management in health organizations: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Health and Biomedical Informatics, 12(2).
Kolahi, B. (2023). Transition from traditional human resource cycles to the transformative functions of information technology and the digital age. International Conference on Web Research,
Krotkiewicz, M., Szynkaruk, A., & Stachyra, A. (2025). Digital transformation in healthcare management: from artificial intelligence to blockchain. Wiadomości Lekarskie, 578-583.
Kumar, R., Arjunaditya, S. D., Srinivasan, K., & Hu, Y. C. (2022). AI-powered blockchain technology for public health: a contemporary review, open challenges, and future research directions. Healthcare, 11(1), 81.
Lakemond, N., Holmberg, G., & Pettersson, A. (2021). Digital transformation in complex systems. Ieee Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 192-204.
Liu, B., Cifuentes-Faura, J., Liu, X., & Ding, C. J. (2024). Towards green governance and real economy development: how digital technology affects health human resource allocation? Applied Economics, 1-15.
Majam, T., & Jarbandhan, D. B. (2022). Data driven human resource management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 10(1), 588.
Mauro, M., Noto, G., Prenestini, A., & Sarto, F. (2024). Digital transformation in healthcare: Assessing the role of digital technologies for managerial support processes. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 209, 123781.
Mirmoeini, T. S., Taghvaei, R., Hamidi, K., Asghari Sarem, A., & Ghobadi Lamouki, T. (2022). Designing a model for resilient human resource management functions in the country's health system (Case study: Universities of Medical Sciences in macro-region 3 of the country). Human Resource Studies, 12(3), 26-50.
Moazzami, S., Rasouli, E., & Hakimi, A. (2025). Human resource management in smart organizations: A review of modern paradigms. Smart Management and Development Strategies, 3(1), 1-11.
Mosadeghrad, A. M., Mosavarali, S., Hosseini Neishabouri, S. H., Khanjani, A., Afraz, S., & Jafari Azad, A. (2025). Challenges and solutions of health personnel management: A scoping review. Management Strategies in Health System, 10(1), 57-66.
Nachit, H., Jaafari, M., El Fikri, I., & Belhcen, L. (2021). Digital transformation in the Moroccan public sector: drivers and barriers. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3907290
Rastegar, A., Ebrahimi, S. A., Shafiei Nikabadi, M., & Kolahi, B. (2022). Smart human resource architecture: A structural approach to the digital transformation of knowledge-based companies. Public Administration, 14(2), 215-234.
Robu, D., & Lazar, J. B. (2021). Digital transformation designed to succeed: Fit the change into the business strategy and people. Electronic journal of knowledge management, 19(2), 133-149.
Ruiz, L., Benitez, J., Castillo, A., & Braojos, J. (2024). Digital human resource strategy: Conceptualization, theoretical development, and an empirical examination of its impact on firm performance. Information & Management, 61(4), 103966.
Sadr, S. S., Zahedi, E., & Sadr, S. R. (2023). Change management in the health system: Challenges and solutions. Culture and Health Promotion, 4(7), 557-562.
Stofkova, J., Poliakova, A., Stofkova, K. R., Malega, P., Krejnus, M., Binasova, V., & Daneshjo, N. (2022). Digital skills as a significant factor of human resources development. Sustainability, 14(20), 13117.
Temjanovski, R., Loku, A., & Bezovski, Z. (2025). Transforming Human Resource Management in Healthcare: The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Industry 5.0. Journal of Economics, 10(1), 54-71.
Tsai, Z. (2024). Digital transformation and business model innovation: Navigating opportunities and challenges. Highlights in Business, Economics and Management. https://drpress.org/ojs/index.php/HBEM/article/view/26339
Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Qi Dong, J., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital Transformation: A Multidisciplinary Reflection and Research Agenda. Journal of Business Research, 122, 889-901.
Vial, G. (2021). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. In Managing digital transformation (pp. 13-66).
Vrontis, D., Christofi, M., Pereira, V., Tarba, S., Makrides, A., & Trichina, E. (2023). Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced technologies and human resource management: a systematic review. In Artificial intelligence and international HRM (pp. 172-201).
World Health, O. (2023). Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025. WHO.
Yaghoubi, M., & Mirzaei, L. (2021). Investigating the barriers to implementing a digital system in health human resource management. Health Information Technology Quarterly.
Yusuf, S. O., Durodola, R. L., Ocran, G., Abubakar, J. E., Echere, A. Z., & Paul-Adeleye, A. H. (2024). Challenges and opportunities in AI and digital transformation for SMEs: A cross-continental perspective. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 23(03), 668-678.
Zhou, J., & Cen, W. (2023). Design and Application Research of a Digital Human Resource Management Platform based on ChatGPT. Journal of Theory and Practice of Social Science, 3(7), 49-57.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ali Vahidi Sabzevar (Author); Abbas Monavarian; Sina Tarighi, Mohammad Ali Hatefi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
