AISIS – the Italian Association of Health Information Systems – and CeRGAS, the Centre for Research on Health and Social Care Management at SDA Bocconi School of Management, have entered into a structured, long-term collaboration agreement dedicated to advancing Digital Health and assessing its impact on the Italian National Health Service (NHS).

The partnership was established with the aim of combining complementary expertise: on the one hand, the AISIS professional community, representing CIOs, Health Information Systems Directors, and ICT professionals operating in the healthcare sector; on the other, the research excellence and knowledge-transfer experience developed by CeRGAS–SDA Bocconi in the areas of governance, management models, and innovation in healthcare services.

The collaboration includes a multi-year roadmap and a shared governance framework aimed at:

• Developing and strengthening research and observatory programs on digital innovation in healthcare, with a particular focus on clinical, organizational, and economic benefits;
• Promoting structured opportunities for dialogue among researchers, institutions, healthcare organizations, and industry stakeholders through workshops, seminars, working groups, and events;
• Producing policy recommendations, reports, position papers, and practical tools to support decision-makers and healthcare professionals;
• Defining metrics and evaluation methodologies to assess the impact of digital transformation, including digital maturity, outcomes, processes, and sustainability;
• Supporting training initiatives and capacity-building programs for the Health Information Systems community.

At a time when the Italian NHS is challenged to balance innovation, sustainability, and quality of care, this partnership aims to foster a rigorous, evidence-based understanding of the sector’s digital evolution, leveraging the experiences of healthcare organizations and promoting models that can be replicated nationwide.

Marco Foracchia, President of AISIS, stated:

“Through this agreement, we are launching a stable and long-term initiative that systematically connects the community of healthcare CIOs and ICT professionals with one of the country’s leading research centers. Our goal is to support change through practical tools, data, and shared evaluation methodologies, making Digital Health a tangible driver of improvement for both citizens and healthcare professionals.”

Amelia Compagni, Director of CeRGAS and Associate Professor at SDA Bocconi, added:

“Digital transformation requires governance capabilities and impact assessment, in addition to technological expertise. Our collaboration with AISIS enables us to connect research with the real needs of healthcare organizations and generate evidence that can support policy-making and managerial decision-making, through an ongoing dialogue with those who design and manage health information systems.”

Among the first initiatives undertaken within this collaboration is the publication of a position paper developed together with CHIME International and TIG – The Innovation Group:

Survey 2025 – Digital Innovation in Healthcare in Italy

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of digital transformation within Italian healthcare organizations, gathering evidence, trends, and future perspectives to support decision-makers, ICT professionals, and other stakeholders across the healthcare sector.

Download the report (in Italian)

First report published under the three-year collaboration between AISIS and CeRGAS-SDA Bocconi: Survey 2025 – Digital Innovation in Healthcare in Italy