Telemedicine Systems Development in Post-Conflict Contexts: A Country Case Study of the Role of Symbols of Conflict in Systems Engineering

Post-conflict regions are extreme situations which load additional variables onto systems engineering projects. The success of advanced technology projects in post-conflict regions is mixed and success factors in these regions remain poorly understood. Whilst the immediate conflict may be over in a post-war situation, the affects of the conflict as a symbolic system is likely to remain in a society. This paper explores the symbolic importance of conflict in a successful post-conflict health informatics project. Health informatics technologies are an important response to the difficult conditions in post-war territories. The primary contribution of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to set out a case study of a successful Telemedicine Systems implementation in a post conflict region. Secondly, to note symbols of conflict in a telemedicine initiative in a post-war Balkan region. These contributions demonstrate a major weakness in current technology acceptance theory and open up new avenues for research into international stability and advanced technology development and adoption in post-conflict regions.