DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN CARE MANAGEMENT: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES FOR HEALTH SYSTEMS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: to synthesise the best scientific evidence on the incorporation of digital technologies into health care management, highlighting effects on work organisation, quality and continuity of care, access and equity, and implementation challenges in health systems. Method: integrative review conducted according to Whittemore and Knafl and reported following PRISMA 2020, with a reproducible search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, LILACS, SciELO and the VHL, complemented by institutional documents from the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. DeCS and MeSH descriptors combined through Boolean operators and a 2020–2026 time frame were adopted. Quality and level of evidence were classified according to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt, followed by thematic analysis. Results: twenty studies composed the corpus, predominantly systematic reviews from high-income countries and a relevant set of Brazilian experiences within the Unified Health System. Evidence converges on gains in continuity, coordination and access, conditioned by interoperability, usability, digital literacy and data governance; documentation burden and burnout emerge as recurrent adverse effects. Final considerations: digital technologies improve care management when integrated with redesigned work processes, professional competencies and equity policies, requiring leadership from nursing and the multidisciplinary team in the technological mediation of care.