SLOVENIA: Audit Insights: IT Support in Oncology
The Court of Audit of the Republic of Slovenia recently completed a comprehensive performance audit on the efficiency of providing IT support at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, covering the period from January 2022 to September 2024. The findings shed light on the crucial role of IT support in one of Slovenia’s leading healthcare institutions—and the challenges of keeping it aligned with rapid medical and technological progress.
The Institute, a national centre for cancer patient care, research, development, education and prevention, employs over 1,300 employees whose work depends on a network of more than 20 IT solutions—from clinical and laboratory systems to finance, human resources, and patient care management platforms. This system, managed by a team of 12 IT specialists, needs to keep patient data secure, medical workflows synchronized, and administrative operations efficient.
Findings: Strengths and Gaps
The audit concluded that the provision of IT support was partially efficient. While several services—such as different healthcare services, human resources management, and reimbursement from the Health Insurance Institute—were mainly effectively IT supported, the Court of Audit identified a lack of strategic planning and unified project management of IT support.
The Institute failed to plan IT support measures at strategic level intended to ensure a long-term coherent development of the IT environment and the efficient support of the Institute’s operations. Moreover, annual plans lacked clear objectives, resource allocations, and measurable performance indicators.
Despite undertaking several comprehensive and demanding investment projects for improving IT support, the audit concluded that the Institute did not establish a methodology for managing such projects, which would include a system of rules and procedures for approval and implementation of each phase of the project.
Although planning and establishing of IT support was insufficient, the key organisational processes in most areas of the Institute’s operations were predominantly efficiently supported through IT. Furthermore, the Institute mostly managed relationships with external providers of IT support efficiently, particularly when ensuring protection of data and of financial and legal interests of the Institute.
Steps Toward Improvement
Despite some shortcomings, the audit also recognized the Institute’s commitment to improvement. Measures have already been initiated, including performance scheme for carrying out a status analysis of IT support which will serve as the basis for developing a strategy for future IT support.
To enhance efficiency, the Court of Audit provided the Institute with several recommendations related to the systemic management of IT support, among others for the Council of the Institute to play a more active role in overseeing IT governance, ensuring that future investments are coordinated, data-driven, and sustainable.
Full report (in Slovene language):
Link to English infographics:
By: Alenka Blas
