title: Conceptual design of an e-health strategy for the Spanish health care system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to describe the design and development of an e-health strategy for the Spanish health care system. Using quality function deployment and benchmarking analysis as an analytical model, a strategy in e-health care is proposed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article uses the case of a Spanish community to build a general framework for e-health system development. Based on a multi-disciplinary literature, and the specific needs of a community, the process of e-health system development is analyzed and reduced into a series of phases that form an integrated method. Best practice managerial techniques are adapted to the healthcare industry and the inter-relationships between them are mapped in a theoretical model that results in the desired outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This analysis produces a road-map to e-health system development consisting of several phases: analysis of the current situation of the system and determination of objectives; collection and analysis of customer expectations; development of an action plan through cross-evaluation of customer and system needs; cost and strategic analyses; and evaluation and control systems. Managerial implications are provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strategy proposed in this article is a prototype and an ongoing study in the Castilla-La Mancha community.
authors.affiliation: Marketing and Management Department, School of Business and Economics, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. gonzalezm@cofc.edu
authors.forename: Marvin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Gioconda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: José V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Gavidia
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D020407:Internet; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013030:Spain