Nearly all healthcare institutions are heavily dependent on a few large big tech companies for essential digital processes. This dependence poses risks to digital autonomy, data security, bargaining power, and long-term control. A complete switch to alternatives is not realistic in the short term. Therefore, this project focuses on a gradual and carefully designed transition to open-source solutions, in collaboration between healthcare institutions, SME IT suppliers, and technology partners.
Healthcare institutions currently lack sufficient insight into how such a transition can be structured from a technical and organizational perspective. At the same time, SME IT suppliers possess extensive knowledge of their clients but lack experience in offering and implementing open-source alternatives. Furthermore, the long-term costs, risks, and societal benefits of such choices are difficult to assess.
Maastricht University is therefore overseeing five pilot projects by technology partner Mosa.cloud and IT provider BB open at healthcare institutions. In these pilots, an open-source workplace alternative based on LaSuite will be designed, tested, and evaluated. Technical, organizational, economic, and societal aspects will be integrated into this process.
The project consists of three components: research into the conditions and considerations for transition, the implementation and evaluation of the five pilot projects, and a large-scale survey of Dutch SME IT suppliers regarding their needs and challenges.
The key results are five validated pilots with a rollout roadmap, a tested implementation strategy and toolkit for IT suppliers, a practical transition framework for healthcare institutions, and evidence-based research and policy recommendations for the broader adoption of open-source solutions.
