Knowledge Sharing and Scaling Barriers in Healthcare Automation - A Techno-Anthropological Perspective on RPA at Aarhu University Hospital
Author
Larsen, Marie Suhr
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-28
Pages
69
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Robotic Process Automation (RPA) bliver implementeret, delt og skaleret på Aarhus Universitetshospital, og hvordan organisatoriske strukturer, infrastrukturelle praksisser og socio-tekniske dynamikker former denne udvikling. Med et techno-antropologisk udgangspunkt og teoretiske rammer som Infrastructuring, Value Sensitive Design (VSD), Ethical Technology Assessment (ETA) og CFIR analyserer studiet RPA som en del af komplekse sundhedspraksisser. Empirisk bygger specialet på interviews, workshops og etnografiske observationer. Analysen peger på, at RPA giver tydelige effektivitetsgevinster, men at skalering hæmmes af siloopdelte strukturer, fragmenteret kommunikation, begrænsede ressourcer og manglende fælles ejerskab samt systemmæssige barrierer. Etiske temaer som retfærdighed, autonomi, tillid og relationel omsorg træder frem og understreger, at automatisering ikke er neutral, men en socio-teknisk intervention med konsekvenser for værdier og arbejdsgange i sundhedsvæsenet. Specialet anbefaler deltagerinvolverende design, proaktiv opsøgende indsats, distribueret ansvar og stærke vidensinfrastrukturer for at understøtte en bæredygtig digital omstilling, hvor teknologier ikke alene fremmer effektivitet, men også værner om værdighed, fairness og omsorg.
This thesis examines how Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is implemented, shared, and scaled at Aarhus University Hospital, and how organizational structures, infrastructural practices, and socio-technical dynamics shape that process. Using a techno-anthropological approach and drawing on frameworks including Infrastructuring, Value Sensitive Design (VSD), Ethical Technology Assessment (ETA), and CFIR, the study situates RPA within complex healthcare practices. The empirical basis comprises interviews, workshops, and ethnographic observations. The analysis finds that while RPA delivers clear efficiency gains, scaling is constrained by siloed structures, fragmented communication, limited resources, and a lack of shared ownership, alongside system-level barriers. Ethical concerns around justice, autonomy, trust, and relational care emerge, highlighting that automation is not neutral but a socio-technical intervention with implications for values and everyday work in healthcare. The thesis recommends participatory design, proactive outreach, distributed responsibility, and robust knowledge infrastructures to support sustainable digital transformation, ensuring technologies advance not only efficiency but also dignity, fairness, and care.
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