معرفی
Dr. Roberta Bernardi is Associate Professor in Digital Health and Innovation at the University of Bristol Business School, where she conducts research at the intersection of digital technologies and healthcare. With over a decade of experience, she has established herself as a leading scholar examining how digital innovations transform healthcare delivery, professional practices, and patient experiences.
Dr. Bernardi earned her PhD from the University of Warwick in 2012, following her undergraduate studies (BSc). Her educational background provided the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach that combines information systems, healthcare management, and sociological perspectives.
Her research program focuses on digital innovation in healthcare, examining the adoption of health information systems, telehealth, and the impact of online health communities on medical expertise. She employs theoretical frameworks including institutional theory, affordances theory, and identity theory to understand how digital technologies reshape professional identities, healthcare practices, and patient-doctor relationships. Her work particularly investigates how patients use social media and online communities to inform health decisions and challenge traditional medical expertise hierarchies.
Dr. Bernardi's publications reveal a clear trajectory from examining institutional barriers to healthcare information systems implementation in developing countries (particularly Kenya) toward contemporary research on online health communities, patient empowerment, and the sociomaterial aspects of digital health. Her most recent work addresses pandemic-related digital transformation in healthcare, reflecting her ability to respond to emerging healthcare challenges with rigorous theoretical frameworks.
- British Academy of Management Researcher Development Grant (2014)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) PhD Scholarship (2007)
- Outstanding Reviewer Award, Health Care Management Division, Academy of Management Conference (2018)
- Teaching Excellence Commendation at Royal Holloway (2017)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK)
As an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Association for Information Systems and Information Systems Journal, and Senior Editor of Information Technology and People, Dr. Bernardi plays a significant role in shaping scholarly discourse in her field. She has successfully secured research funding for multiple projects examining digital health from various perspectives, including epistemic practices in online health communities and the role of Clinical Commissioning Groups in telehealth adoption. Her teaching innovations incorporate experiential learning through industry partnerships, particularly in her leadership of the MSc in Business Analytics program at Bristol.
Dr. Bernardi actively engages with stakeholders beyond academia through workshops, public talks, and industry consultations on digital health ethics, AI fairness, and telehealth implementation. Her research has practical implications for healthcare organizations seeking to implement digital innovations while addressing social justice concerns and maintaining quality patient care.
