Health data standards and adoption process

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to carry out a critical study of health data standards and adoption process with a focus on Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach -Many developed nations have initiated programs to develop, promote, adopt and customise international health data standards to the local needs. The current status of, and future plans for, health data and related standards in developing countries are still questionable due to the absence of government actions, plans and related studies. However, the development of interoperable standards not only technically defines a method of interoperation between the different systems in a network but most importantly represents a proposal for the future of complex socio-technical systems that is the shape of a national health information network and therefore a complex balance between different types of requirements including organisational, social and managerial aspects must be managed. This reaffirms the need for a more in-depth study to evaluate the adoption of health information technology-related standards at the decision-making stage in developing countries. Based on diffusion of innovation theory and the theories surrounding the economics of standards, a case study method was applied in Saudi Arabia to study the adoption process of health data standards. Findings -The preliminary analysis findings revealed that there are 18 factors influencing the decision-making adoption process of acquiring certain standards. Research limitations/implications -Qualitative study methods have been employed in the present study that have shed light on the many issues that need to be addressed in this field. Studies involving other countries including advanced nations should be done for which the present results have economic, social and educational implications. Practical implications -The present study and findings should help inform policy and decision makers in developing health systems with the potential creation of information and structure that can sustain future and improved systems. Originality/value -This paper makes a novel contribution at both academic and practical levels since both the academics and practitioners, who are devoted to the ongoing use of health data standards, still lack a significant body of evidence with regard to the factors that influence their adoption.

Usability Factors Assessment in Health Information System

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A framework for research on e‐learning assimilation in SMEs: a strategic perspective

“…From the literature, one perceives that the notion of IT complexity, rather than being an absolute technical characteristic, is more contingent upon the adopting organization. It refers to the relative perception of potential adopters as to the ease with which IT‐related standards can be understood, and then be implemented and used (Alkraiji et al , 2010). There exists a negative relationship between the perceived complexity of e‐learning technology and the firm's decision to adopt it (Hsbollah and Idris, 2009).…”

Influence of Practice Characteristics on the Adoption of Electronic Dental Records in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

“…We investigated the relationships between the adoption of an EDR as a DIT tool and region, practice size, and practice type [ 5 ]. Our study attempted to identify the practice characteristics that predict EDR adoption; because the concept of EHRs is relatively new in SA [ 14 , 23 ] our findings could add valuable insights into developing effective strategies to encourage healthcare providers to adopt EDRs.…”