Abstract
Many boundaries are hindering successful utilisation of e-health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We have previously proposed an integrated framework of knowledge management and knowledge discovery to overcome barriers of e-health in KSA. Our proposed framework facilitates diabetes self-management for diabetic citizens in the Kingdom. In this paper, we will investigate and rank the barriers of e-health in KSA from the prospective of three stakeholders. We designed a questionnaire which constituted of items related to eight different e-health barriers and its associated sub-barriers. Citizens participated in 51 items related to six barriers. Healthcare professionals answered 83 items related to eight barriers. IT specialists participated in 74 items related to six barriers. Within each group of respondents, we compared the mean scores for each factor and sub-factor. The highest possible score for the mean was 5.00 and the lowest was 0.00 where the higher the mean score was the more the barrier constituted an obstacle for e-health in KSA. Citizens ranked the connectivity of information system as the top barrier with the mean of 4.0 whereas the least barrier was the cultural barriers with the mean score of 3.1. Healthcare professionals ranked the connectivity of information systems as the top barriers with the mean score of 3.5 whereas the least barrier was the technical expertise and computer skills with the mean score of 2.2. The top ranked barrier from the perspective of IT specialists was the medication safety with the mean score of 3.5 and the least ranked barrier was security and privacy with the mean score of 2.2. The results showed consistency with the literature review. Our proposed framework will contribute to the successful implementation of e-health initiatives and assist citizens in KSA to self- manage diabetes.
Highlights
Healthcare organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are investing substantial effort and expenditure to adopt e-health successfully
Ranking e-health barriers in KSA from the perspectives of Saudi Arabian citizens, healthcare professionals and IT specialists will enable the provision of solutions for each stakeholder
Eight factors which were identified from the literature were perceived to be hindering e-health utilisation in KSA
Summary
Healthcare organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are investing substantial effort and expenditure to adopt e-health successfully Such implementation has been impacted by many barriers. As KSA is in the top countries in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, our proposed framework aims to assist Saudi Arabian citizens to self-manage their disease and obtain better education about diabetes. To address this critical factor, a survey of e-health barriers has been carried out to understand the nature of these issues and current attitudes of Saudi societies, and help to propose solutions to overcome these obstacles. The questionnaire study, the results and discussion are presented in this paper
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
