Purpose This study investigates how digital technologies (DTs) enable knowledge management (KM) practices for meso-level decision-making in public healthcare systems. It examines how a regional disease registry contributes to the intellectual capital (IC) life cycle within a complex inter-organisational environment. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal qualitative case study methodology was employed, focusing on a regional antidotes reference centre in Northern Italy. Data were gathered across two waves of semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals between 2020 and 2025. Findings The analysis demonstrates that the registry functions as a meso-level coordination mechanism, converting clinical data into structural capital to expedite cross-organisational decision-making. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the registry bolstered relational capital through enhanced inter-institutional collaboration and resource optimisation. Furthermore, human capital was essential in mitigating emerging clinical threats, such as new psychoactive substances, by codifying tacit expertise into formal protocols. Conversely, organisational barriers and confidentiality restrictions impede optimal knowledge flows and IC evolution. Practical implications Healthcare networks may enhance performance by implementing digital infrastructures that support the KM cycle while proactively addressing institutional barriers to knowledge utilisation. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence of how DTs operationalise KM to reinforce meso-level IC. It underscores the strategic importance of disease registries as digital catalysts for knowledge-based resilience in fragmented healthcare ecosystems.
Cavicchi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.