Relational coordination in medical work: The role of digital health practices

The increasing specialization of medical work has amplified the complexity of coordination among healthcare professionals, making its effectiveness a persistent challenge. Digital health technologies – including telemedicine, electronic medical records and generative artificial intelligence – have been introduced to facilitate coordination, yet their impact on relational coordination remains debated. While some studies highlight their potential to enhance structured communication and information sharing, others point to risks such as communication silos, depersonalization and cognitive overload. This study integrates Relational Coordination Theory with the sociomateriality paradigm to examine how digital health practices shape relational coordination among healthcare professionals. Leveraging survey data from a sample of Italian specialist doctors, we analyze the effects of distinct digital health practices (quantification, connectivity and instantaneity) on relational coordination. Our findings reveal that digital health practices exert heterogeneous effects. Consulting and collaborating at a distance through telemedicine positively influences relational coordination, whereas monitoring and visualizing patient data may introduce complexities rather than improving coordination. The role of EMRs and generative AI appears more ambiguous, with mixed evidence regarding their capacity to sustain relational coordination. These findings underscore the need to further understand how digital health practices are integrated into clinical work and their implications for coordination processes.