eHealth in Saudi Arabia: Current trends, challenges and recommendations

Khaled Alsulame*, Mohamed Khalifa, Mowafa Househ

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference proceeding contributionpeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the current status of eHealth in Saudi Arabia from the perspective of health informatics professionals. We used a case study approach and analyzed participant data using thematic analysis. The study took place between July and August 2013. Data collection included interviews with nine senior health information professionals in Saudi Arabia. The findings describe participant views on current eHealth trends in Saudi Arabia and show differences among Saudi healthcare organizations in terms of eHealth adoption. Participants also describe the challenges relating to organizational and cultural issues, end user attitudes towards eHealth projects, and the lack of specialized human resources to implement eHealth systems. Two main recommendations made by the participants were to form a new national body for eHealth and to develop a unified plan for the implementation of Saudi eHealth initiatives.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEnabling health informatics applications
EditorsArie Hasman, Mowafa S. Househ
Place of PublicationAmsterdam, Netherlands
PublisherIOS Press
Pages233-236
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781614995388
ISBN (Print)9781614995371
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event13th International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare, ICIMTH 2015 - Athens, Greece
Duration: 9 Jul 201511 Jul 2015

Publication series

NameStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume213
ISSN (Print)0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)1879-8365

Other

Other13th International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare, ICIMTH 2015
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityAthens
Period9/07/1511/07/15

Keywords

  • eHealth
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Healthcare
  • Challenges

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