Digital transformation of healthcare: Exploring paradoxes and the approaches to alternate between opposing demands.

Purpose Digital transformation (DT) is reshaping healthcare with technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine. However, DT introduces paradoxical tensions, requiring the navigation of opposing demands. This study aims to examine these paradoxes, focusing on the structures and underlying mechanisms that enable or constrain their management. Design/methodology/approach A meta-synthesis based on a systematic literature review of 29 qualitative studies was conducted to identify and analyze paradoxes emerging from DT initiatives in healthcare. The study categorized these paradoxes and explored approaches and mechanisms that facilitate the navigation of these tensions. Findings Five types of paradoxes were identified: (i) belonging paradoxes of digital disconnect, (ii) learning paradoxes of tech-induced burden, (iii) organizing paradoxes of technology co-creation, (iv) performing paradoxes of multistakeholder collaboration, and (v) organizing paradoxes of technology implementation. These findings highlight DT as a dynamic interplay of opposing forces rather than a straightforward process, emphasizing the need for approaches to alternate between competing demands, i.e., adaptive innovation, human-centered empowerment, strategic agility, collaboration for user-centered design, and collaborative alignment. Originality This study contributes to the literature by offering a typology of paradoxes in healthcare DT and identifying approaches and mechanisms to navigate these tensions. Practical implications Insights from this study can guide healthcare practitioners and policymakers in developing strategies to manage paradoxical tensions, enhancing the effectiveness of DT initiatives.