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Abstract

This paper provides a review of current factors relevant to information services departments in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, and which impact upon the need for knowledge integration and the potential for innovation. Following an introductory section and a discussion of the information that these departments have to provide, factors which are reviewed include information overload, the rate of change, the need for competitive advantage, greater popular awareness of information, and the convergence of information technologies and information sources. Factors impeding progress are the requirement to manage legacy data, restrictions on human and financial resources, problems of project management, and doubts about the value of systematic information gathering. Also to be considered are a range of information technology (IT) developments which are briefly discussed. Themes which should underlie knowledge management include the conversion of disparate information into integrated and usable knowledge, the reuse of information, and the formation of knowledge structures with the potential to trigger creativity and innovation.

Keywords

Knowledge Management Integration Innovation Pharmaceuticals

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An Overview of Knowledge Integration for Innovation in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals *

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