Social, organizational, and technological dynamics shaping healthcare work

Paula Rowland began her career as an occupational therapist, working with children and adults in diverse healthcare settings across Canada. Her early practice sparked an enduring interest in how workplaces shape what professionals do, what they know, and how they collaborate. This led to her graduate work in leadership and organizational studies, culminating in a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems in 2013. 

Grounded in social science, her research draws from sociology of professions, sociology of work, and science and technology studies to examine the social, organizational, and technological dynamics that shape healthcare reform efforts. Her research informs curriculum design and teaching strategies that prepare future health professionals for the complex moral landscapes of healthcare and supports regulatory bodies and professional practice leaders in understanding how organizational change reshapes professional roles, accountability structures, and standards of practice.

Dr. Rowland’s previous research explored two substantive change efforts: patient engagement initiatives and patient safety and quality improvement programs. More recently, she has been interested in the digitalization of health and healthcare work. In this latter domain, Dr. Rowland examines how digitalization is reshaping professional identities, care practices, and systems of accountability. This work provides insights that help professional practice leaders and educators adapt to technological change while preserving the moral imperatives of care work. Her scholarship also advances social science by extending theories of professions and expertise to contemporary contexts of technological and organizational change.

Dr. Rowland actively collaborates with health professions educators, regulators, and leaders. She mentors graduate students using social science theories and qualitative methodologies to understand care work and changing professional identities, particularly in the context of digitalization and datafication of healthcare work.