Abstract
The goal of this narrative
literature review is to explore the current status of the reality of Health
Information Technology (HIT) infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The results of
this study have indicated that poor HIT infrastructure in Saudi Arabia has
exacerbated problems and retarded the adoption of electronic healthcare
practices, which have suffered a reduction in technical project resources,
primarily due to high costs, which occurs not only in Saudi Arabia, but also
regionally and globally. Further, HIT practices in Saudi public hospitals have
suffered a reduction of HIT specialists, training and awareness programs, as
well as poor management. This study also revealed that the Electronic Health
Record System (EHRs) implementation strategies were unsuccessful, and the National
Informational Technology Plan appears too long-term and rigid. However, these
unsuccessful ventures are secondary, and consequential to, a core triangle of
interdependent, negative factors that persistently impede the development of
the Saudi Arabian healthcare technology infrastructure, represented by: (1) an
inadequate, partially dysfunctional HIT infrastructure further weakened by each
implementation failure; (2) a dire shortage of suitably-qualified Health
Information Management (HIM) professionals, incapable or reluctant to train
application users, let alone additional staff members in their own department;
(3) the failure to have implemented Health Data Standards, in accordance with
International Organization for Standardization specifications.
Keywords: Health Information, Health Data Standards, HIT, HI, HIM, Saudi Arabia, EHRs