Kohli and Tremblay at the helm: Charting a more human-centered future for digital healthcare
Professors Rajiv Kohli and Monica Chiarini Tremblay have been busy contributing to a global effort redefining healthcare innovation through information systems research.
As the healthcare industry races to meet the demands of an increasingly digital, personalized, and connected world, faculty from William & Mary's Raymond A. Mason School of Business are helping to shape its trajectory. Professors Rajiv Kohli, the John N. Dalton Memorial Professor of Business, and Monica Chiarini Tremblay, Hays T. Watkins Distinguished Professor of Business, are among an international team of scholars whose new research offers a critical blueprint for human-centric information systems (IS) in healthcare.
Their recent publication, "Human-Centric Information Systems Research on the Digital Future of Healthcare," appears in Information Systems Research and brings together thought leaders from institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, University of Warwick, Iowa State University, National University of Singapore, and the University of Virginia.
Reframing Digital Health Around the Human Experience
While much of today's digital health conversation centers on AI tools and hospital technologies, this study reframes the conversation to focus on the people they are designed to serve. The team's work maps out a comprehensive framework that classifies healthcare IS research along two key dimensions: type of care (preventive, reactive, and proactive) and locus of care (organizational vs. societal).
"Digital tools have extraordinary potential—but we must remain grounded in the human experience," said Professor Tremblay. "From patients and caregivers to clinicians and policymakers, our research puts people at the center of innovation."
By analyzing a decade of scholarship across six major healthcare IS themes—from risk prediction and digital health strategy to patient-physician engagement and AI equity—the author team identifies four emerging research clusters driving the next wave of healthcare transformation:
- Consumer-Centric Healthcare
- Care Beyond Conventional Institutions
- Support for Frontline Providers
- AI for Personalized and Equitable Care
Anticipating Future Challenges—And Opportunities
What makes this work so timely is its emphasis on interconnected care systems, cross-border learning, and the digital divide, all while acknowledging the ethical, regulatory, and economic challenges that come with innovation.
"In many ways, the research community is playing catch-up with the speed of technological change, changing patient preferences, and rising costs of healthcare" said Professor Kohli. "Our goal is to help scholars and decision-makers not only understand what's possible—but also anticipate the ripple effects, both intended and unintended."
The publication also outlines a roadmap for future inquiry, including:
- Using AI to mitigate health inequities
- Designing resilient digital infrastructure for crisis response
- Learning from innovations in developing economies to inform care models in developed nations
- Supporting overstretched frontline care providers with intelligent systems
A Global, Collaborative Effort
Though Professors Kohli and Tremblay represent William & Mary in this work, they are quick to emphasize the intensely collaborative nature of the project.
"This is not just about healthcare in the U.S.," Tremblay noted. "We brought together scholars with firsthand experience across continents and healthcare systems. That diversity is essential for designing equitable and globally relevant solutions."
A Moment of Leadership for the Raymond A. Mason School of Business
The study's publication in Information Systems Research, one of the field's leading journals, highlights the Raymond A. Mason School of Business's growing impact in health IT and interdisciplinary research. It also reflects the School's commitment to tackling complex societal challenges with data-driven insight and academic rigor.
"As business scholars, we have a responsibility to think beyond the data and task at hand," said Kohli. "Healthcare affects every person and every economy. Our work shows how information systems can be a force for good—if designed thoughtfully and inclusively."