Tomsk, Russian Federation
Tomsk, Russian Federation
UDC 61
Investments in information technologies in healthcare often fail to yield the expected economic returns. The reason lies not in technological infrastructure, but in human capital. A significant gap has been identified between the possession of basic and specialized digital competencies by healthcare workers. An economic model for developing digital competencies is proposed, based on a synthesis of human capital theory and a socio-technical approach. The empirical base includes the results of a survey of physicians from Russian regions and time-motion study data from a medical organization in Tomsk. Three groups of barriers hindering the transformation of investments in digital competencies into actual economic returns have been identified: psychological, organizational, and motivational. The developed model involves the sequential implementation of four stages: diagnosing the structural gap, tiered training, reducing digital anxiety, and linking economic incentives to the certified level of competencies. Testing of the model in a medical organization demonstrated a high return on investment with an annual release of a significant amount of working time per physician. The proposed approach can be replicated in other industries facing a similar structural gap in digital competencies.
digital competencies, structural gap, investment model, human capital, healthcare, labor productivity, digital transformation, return on investment (ROI), digital anxiety, sectoral economics
1. Baranova, T. V., Gurtskoy, L. D., Smirnova, E. K. [et al.] (2025). Digital competencies of a medical worker: a modern standard of professionalism. Remedium, 29(2), 162–166. DOI:https://doi.org/10.32687/1561-5936-2025-29-2-162-166.
2. Gurtskoy, L. D., Smirnova, E. K., Zudin, A. B. (2023). Digital competencies of medical workers: approaches to definition and essence of the concept. Bulletin of the N. A. Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health, 2, 83–88. DOI:https://doi.org/10.47066/2415-8410_2023_2_82
3. Kazanfarova, M. A., Veldanova, M. V., Prirodova, O. F. (2024). Digital competencies in the practice of medical personnel: results of a survey of 18,000 doctors and nurses on the portal of continuing medical and pharmaceutical education. Doctor and Information Technologies, 2, 52–67. DOI:https://doi.org/10.25881/18110193_2024_2_52.
4. Maksimova, I. V., Simagin, Yu. A. (2024). Human capital and investment efficiency. Population, 27(3), 111–123. DOI:https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2024-3-111-123.
5. Tkachenko, I. N., Chesnyukova, L. K. (2023). Digital technologies in healthcare as a way to ensure the quality of human capital. Izvestiya of Saratov University. New Series. Series: Economics. Management. Law, 23(2), 163–173. DOI:https://doi.org/10.18500/1994-2540-2023-23-2-163-173.
6. Demkina, A. E. (2025). Digital literacy of medical workers: analysis of external and internal factors. Personnel and Intellectual Resources Management in Russia, 14(3), 19–26. DOI:https://doi.org/10.12737/2305-7807-2025-14-3-19-26.
7. Demkina, A. E., Shmidt, D. A. (2025). Current competencies of a modern doctor: results of expert interviews analysis. State and Municipal Management. Scholarly Notes, 2, 241–251.
8. Garazha, N. A., Rzun, I. G., Strizhak, M. S. [et al.] (2025). Socio-humanitarian and economic aspects of the digitalization of medicine in the Russian Federation. Problems of Social Hygiene, Public Health and History of Medicine, 33(2), 176–181. DOI:https://doi.org/10.32687/0869-866X-2025-33-2-176-181.
9. Kalabina, E. G., Esina, E. A., Smirnykh, S. N. (2024). Prototyping of digitalization models for regional healthcare systems. Herald of Omsk University. Series “Economics”, 22(2), 105–115. DOI:https://doi.org/10.24147/1812-3988.2024.22(2).105-115.
10. Kadyrov, F. N., Kurakova, N. G., Mukhacheva, A. V., Chililov, A. M. (2025). On some approaches to assessing the economic efficiency of artificial intelligence in public healthcare. Health Care Manager, 12, 169–176. DOI:https://doi.org/10.21045/1811-0185-2025-12-169-176.
11. Aksenova, E. I., Medvedeva, E. I., Kroshilin, S. V. (2024). Use of digital technologies in the activities of medical organizations. Health Care of the Russian Federation, 68(5), 356–363. DOI:https://doi.org/10.47470/0044-197X-2024-68-5-356-363.
12. Gilmanov, A. A., Almukhametov, A. A., Galiakhmetov, A. I., Iskandarov, I. R. (2025). Strategy for integrating digital competencies into educational programs: the model of Kazan State Medical University. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference on “Modern Problems and Prospects of Management in the Healthcare System” dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Head of the Department of “Public Health and General Hygiene”, Professor Ibadulla Kochkarovich Abdullaev, 1(1), 194–197. DOI:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17843532.
13. Chililov, A. M., Kadyrov, F. N. (2024). Economic and legal aspects of the development of labor competencies for the provision of medical care using telemedicine technologies. Journal of Labor Economics, 11(2), 231–242. DOI:https://doi.org/10.18334/et.11.2.120348.
14. Cullen, R., Clark, M., Esson, R. (2011). Evidence-based information-seeking skills of junior doctors entering the workforce: an evaluation of the impact of information literacy training during pre-clinical years. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 28, 119–129.
15. Krivenko, N. V., Vasilyeva, A. V. (2025). Effects of transformations in the regional healthcare system: contribution to public health preservation. Population, 28(1), 153–167. DOI:https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2025-1-153-167.
16. Car, J., Ong, Q. C., Erlikh Fox, T. [et al.] (2025). The Digital Health Competencies in Medical Education Framework: An International Consensus Statement Based on a Delphi Study. JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e2453131. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.53131.
17. Orlov, A. E., Chaadaev, V. K. (2025). Advanced development of healthcare based on digital transformation. Public Administration. E-Journal, 113, 7–21. DOI:https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU2070-1381-113-2025-7-21.
