title: eHealth in Saudi Arabia: Current Trends, Challenges and Recommendations.
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.
authors.affiliation: National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alsulame
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalifa
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mowafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Househ
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005544:Forecasting; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends*