The place of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in Türkiye’s health policies: A qualitative evaluation

Examining health policies of countries with a focus on digital transformation and artificial intelligence is of critical importance not only in terms of health but also in economic, social and administrative terms. This research aims to investigate the current status of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in Türkiye's healthcare system by examining the Twelfth Development Plan (2024-2028) (TDP) and the Ministry of Health 2024-2028 Strategic Plan (MHSP) and to make a consistency assessment between these two policy documents in line with the thematic areas that emerged as a result of the qualitative analysis. This research, which has a qualitative research design, is based on thematic content analysis. The two main questions of the research are as follows; 'What is the current status of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in health services in Türkiye within the framework of TDP and MHSP?' and 'What is the level of consistency between TDP and MHSP?' The universe of the research consists of TDP and MHSP. The research data were accessed electronically from the official websites of the institutions. Data analysis was carried out with thematic coding technique using MaxQDA 2024 Analytics Pro and Microsoft Excel programs. A total of 223 health policy goal were identified, 183 of which were in the TDP and 40 in the MHSP. As a result of the content analysis of the TDP and MHSP, 9 themes, 19 categories and 47 codes were obtained. Digital transformation in health services in Türkiye is planned comprehensively, but the issue of artificial intelligence is not emphasized enough. There are differences between the two plans in terms of priorities, strategies and policies regarding digitalization and artificial intelligence in the context of health services. Improvements in these areas will make the Turkish health system more sustainable, effective and inclusive with a focus on digital transformation and artificial intelligence.