Institute of Health Management

The Institute of Health Management positions its research within the key areas of Human Experience and Value Creation, Workforce Development and Management, Reducing Inequalities in Business and Society, and Digital Transformation & Technological Disruption. Its overarching goal is to contribute to patient-centered, high-quality, and future-oriented healthcare that responds to diverse life situations while responsibly shaping transformation processes. Structural, process, and outcome quality are considered holistically. Collaborations with practice partners and research institutions in Austria and abroad ensure applicability, implementation, and effective knowledge transfer.

Human Experience and Value Creation

This research area focuses on the experiences, needs, and values of those who use or provide healthcare services. The Institute examines how care models, services, and environments can be designed to enhance orientation, increase safety, and make value visible throughout the patient journey. Both digital and analogue solutions are developed with a user-centered approach, integrated into real-world workflows, and tested in everyday care settings to strengthen accessibility, comprehensibility, and continuity of care.

Workforce Development and Management

High-performing healthcare systems require qualified, healthy, and committed teams. Research in this area focuses on learning-oriented organizations, work environments that foster collaboration and reliability, and changes arising from new professional roles or technologies, ensuring that such transformations support both quality of care and job satisfaction. A particular emphasis is placed on career research: the Institute analyzes career pathways and transitions within healthcare, the alignment between qualifications and professional responsibilities, factors that promote retention and professional development, and the impact of career and support programs on retention, advancement opportunities, and quality of care.

Reducing Inequalities in Business and Society

Healthcare should create opportunities regardless of age, background, or digital access. Research therefore explores how services can be designed to address the needs of an ageing society, support integration processes, reduce the digital divide, and account for limited health literacy. The focus lies on low-barrier access, understandable communication, and context-sensitive interventions that effectively reach diverse populations and contribute to reducing inequalities.

Digital Transformation & Technological Disruption

Digital innovations are evaluated regarding their applicability in real-world healthcare settings and their overall impact. Research examines benefits, acceptance, safety, and implementation aspects of technologies ranging from telemedicine services and remotely controlled monitoring solutions to data-driven decision support systems and automated processes. The aim is to design and implement technologies in ways that measurably improve healthcare delivery, ensure responsible use, and meaningfully support the healthcare workforce.

The Institute is home to the degree programs Health Management (Bachelor’s degree) and Management of Healthcare Organizations (Master’s degree).