Identifying and Prioritizing Digital Competency Gaps of Hospital Managers: A Fuzzy AHP Approach

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify and relatively prioritize the managerial digital competency areas that hospital administrators need to develop or strengthen to effectively manage digital transformation. The research was conducted using a two-round Modified Delphi method followed by a Fuzzy AHP approach. The expert panel consisted of six hospital administrators and three academics; the same nine experts participated in all stages. Of the 19 initial criteria derived from the literature, 13 were retained in the first round, six were revised, and three new criteria were added. In the second round, 22 criteria were structured under five main dimensions, all of which met the consensus criteria. The Fuzzy AHP findings indicate that “Digital Technology, Process, and Quality Management” holds the highest relative weight (0.3220), followed by “Data, Analytics, and Interoperability Governance” (0.2545) and “Strategic Digital Leadership and Governance” (0.1794). In the global ranking, the criterion “Ability to evaluate the impact of digital transformation on patient safety, service quality, patient experience, and care outcomes through indicators” (0.0909) stands out. The study demonstrates the need for an integrated approach to developing the technology, data, governance, process, and quality dimensions of managerial digital competency.