System, society and dominance effects in the adoption of tele-health: A tri-country comparison

• Published in: Economic and industrial democracy Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 425 - 447
• Main Authors: Russell, Bob, Smith, Chris, Valsecchi, Raffaella, Andersson Bäck, Monica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.08.2017; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Arbetslivsstudier; Australia; Call centers; Clinical outcomes; Comparative studies; Conformity; Dominance; e-health; Health care; Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy; Health problems; Health services; Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi; Internet; Labor process; labour process; Multiculturalism & pluralism; new public management (NPM); Nurses; Operators; professional call centres; Professionals; Social Work; Socialt arbete; society and dominance (SSD) analysis; Sociologi (exklusive socialt arbete, socialpsykologi och socialantropologi); Sociology (excluding Social work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology); Sweden; system; tele-nursing; Telemedicine; United Kingdom; Work Sciences; United Kingdom > UK; Australia; Sweden; e-health; system; professional call centres; tele-nursing; society and dominance (SSD) analysis
• ISSN: 0143-831X; 1461-7099; 1461-7099
• DOI: 10.1177/0143831X15579287

Although there have been many studies of low skilled call centre operators, research on professional workers in call centres is less common and cross-national research on such operations even rarer. This article compares the labour process experiences of tele-nurses – registered nurses in call centre settings – across three countries: the UK, Australia and Sweden. Using cross-national, comparative ethnographies, through a system, society and dominance (SSD) approach, the article explores the common problems tele-nurses face as well as distinctive societal differences in the ways in which this branch of e-health care is being established. The outcomes reveal both societal diversity and mounting pressures towards a globalizing conformity between the three countries with regard to the working practices of tele-nursing. The findings have important implications for whether or not a professional project can be developed around tele-health care.