Health Information Technology Governance: A Scoping Review of Literature

Authors

  • Hosea Kipkemboi Chumba The Technical University of Kenya
  • Prof. Timothy M. Waema University of Nairobi
  • Prof. Daniel Orwa Ochieng University of Nairobi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12856/JHIA-2025-v12-i1-509

Abstract

Abstract

Purpose – This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on Health Information Technology (HIT) Governance.

Design/methodology/approach – Existing literature on this topic charts the nature and content by summarising existing evidence on HIT governance. Searches were conducted in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases for literature published between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2023.

Findings – A total of twenty-five (25) articles met the criteria and are included in this review. The findings indicate that HIT governance is operationalised through governance mechanisms and context-specific practices. In addition, HIT governance has mainly been for the systems functional at the hospital and national levels of healthcare, as well as systems that facilitate health information exchange, data governance, and health information governance. Governance of HIT systems functional at the community healthcare level has received little research attention. Furthermore, the alignment aspect is not addressed in the reviewed literature but is an essential aspect of HIT governance.

Research limitations - A significant constraint of this scoping review is the limited scope of literature searches conducted exclusively on PubMed and ScienceDirect.

Practical implications – This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of HIT governance in HIT implementation and use.

Originality/value – This study covers HIT governance, addressing the need to investigate how HIT governance is achieved for different HIT integrations and applications and shape further research agenda.

 

Keywords – Health Information Technology, Health Information Systems, Governance

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Author Biographies

  • Prof. Timothy M. Waema, University of Nairobi

    Prof. Timothy Waema

    Timothy Mwololo Waema is a professor of information systems at the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Nairobi and a founder and director of several local companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management of Information Systems from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a bachelor’s Honors Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Bath (UK). He has worked for many years as a researcher and practitioner at the intersection of information technology, strategy, policy, and innovation.

    Prof. Waema has extensively researched many aspects of information systems and information technologies. He has extensive ICT consultancy experience that spans over 30 years in both private and public sector organizations in Kenya and Africa in many aspects of ICTs and development. In addition to his work in ICT, Prof. Waema has helped over 70 organizations, in both public and private sectors, to develop their medium-term strategy.

    For over 20 years, he has developed numerous national policy and strategy documents relating to ICT and Science, Technology and Innovation. These include the National ICT Policy, e-Government Strategy, the National Broadband Strategy, the National ICT Master Plan, the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and Act, and the National Ten-year Science & Technology Park Strategy. Prof. Waema has published a book on strategy entitled ‘Optimizing Strategy for Results’ with Greenleaf Book Group Press (Texas, USA), an INC.Com publication; has edited several books on IT and development; is a certified Monitoring and Evaluation expert (by World Bank), and is a Professional Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the largest association of IT professionals globally.

  • Prof. Daniel Orwa Ochieng, University of Nairobi

    Prof. Daniel Orwa

    Prof. Daniel O. Orwa is an Associate Professor of Information Systems in the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Nairobi. He holds a PhD in ICT4D from the University of Nairobi and has published multiple papers on digital health, user-centred design, and expert systems.

    Prof. Orwa is passionate about Health Systems Re-design after working as a Digital Health Consultant at the Global Financing Facility in Washington and USAID Health IT Project in Kenya. In addition, Prof. Orwa is passionate about Organizational Change Management, where he helps organizations leverage digital technologies to improve their performance, efficiency, and impact. With over six years of experience in this role, he has partnered with various local and international clients, such as UNDP, SIDA, Kenya Railways, and SASRA, to design and implement ICT solutions, conduct system audits, and facilitate strategic change.

    Prof. Orwa is also a founding member of the C4D Lab, a research and ICT4D consultancy lab at the School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi. He has been involved in several innovative projects addressing social and economic challenges in Kenya and beyond, such as Health Systems Interoperability Modeling, Digital Matatus and Liberation Technologies.

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Published

2025-06-17

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Research Article

How to Cite

[1]
Chumba, H.K. et al. 2025. Health Information Technology Governance: A Scoping Review of Literature. Journal of Health Informatics in Africa. 12, 1 (Jun. 2025), 1–19. DOI:https://doi.org/10.12856/JHIA-2025-v12-i1-509.