Healthcare Providers’ Perception and Barriers Concerning the Use of Telehealth Applications in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alghamdi, Saeed M; Aldhahir, Abdulelah M.; Alqahtani, Jaber S; Siraj, Rayan A.; Alsulayyim, Abdullah S; Almojaibel, Abdullah A.; Alhotye, Munyra; Alanazi, Abdullah; Alqarni, Abdullah

doi:10.3390/healthcare10081527

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…While the majority of the participants had never heard about digital health, their major source of information was the Internet, and less health worker communication. Similarly, other studies have indicated that even among health workers, medical app utilization is low due to personal reasons [24]. Some health workers are still locked up in the traditional life of no smart devices, and even when they obtain smart devices, they are not interested in the functioning of the medical apps on such devices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-Based Applications among Saudi Population

AlAli¹,

AlKhudairy²,

AlSafadi³

et al. 2023

Healthcare

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This study aimed at assessing the extent to which the general Saudi population has embraced digital health medical applications to meet their health-related needs so that the Saudi Ministry of Health and government can appropriately be guided on scaling up digital health across the country. As such, this study was guided by the question of to what extent the Saudi people use digital health mobile-based applications. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing snowballing sampling approach. Frequencies, Chi-square, and Spearman rank correlation statistics were used to offer descriptive and inferential analysis of the variables. The majority of the participants were economically able to afford smart devices that have medical apps, had at least an app on such devices, and highly regarded the benefits of the apps. Unfortunately, their understanding of how to use such apps was limited, and this posed a barrier to embracing digital health alongside difficulty downloading apps and medical ethical concerns. Although there is a willingness, extra effort is needed from the Saudi Ministry of Health and the government to promote the uptake of digital health in Saudi Arabia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-Based Applications among Saudi Population

AlAli¹,

AlKhudairy²,

AlSafadi³

et al. 2023

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The respondents had not much knowledge of the asked subject areas. Contrastingly, other studies have indicated that even among health workers, medical app utilization is low due to personal reasons [21]. Some people are still locked up in the traditional life of no smart devices and even when they get smart devices they are not interested in the functioning of the medical apps on such devices.…”

Section: Difficulty In Downloading App and Using Itmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-based Applications Among Saudi Population

AlAli¹,

AlKhudairy²,

AlSafadi³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed at assessing the extent to which the Saudi general population has embraced digital health medical applications to meet their health-related needs so that the Saudi Ministry of Health and government can appropriately be guided on scaling up of digital health across the country. As such, this study was guided by the question of to what extent do the Saudi people use digital health mobile-based applications?. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing snowballing sampling approach. Frequencies, Chi-square, and Spearman rank correlation statistics were used to offer descriptive and inferential analysis of the variables. The majority of the participants were economically able to afford smart devices that have medical apps, had at least an app on such devices, and highly regarded the benefits of the apps. Unfortunately, their understanding of how to use such apps was limited and this posed a barrier to embracing digital health alongside difficulty downloading apps, and medical ethical concerns. Although there is a willingness, extra effort is needed from the Saudi Ministry of Health and government to promote the uptake of digital health in Saudi Arabia.

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“…Recent studies have investigated the potential use of telemedicine services in Saudi Arabia. Alghamdi et al assessed healthcare providers’ perspectives on telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding moderate to high levels of readiness ( 21 ). AlBar et al studied patients’ acceptance of eHealth services, noting the significant influence of perceived usefulness and ease of use on attitudes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring behavioral intention to use telemedicine services post COVID-19: a cross sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Aldekhyyel,

Alshuaibi,

Alsaaid

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionWhile telemedicine offers significant benefits, there remain substantial knowledge gaps in the literature, particularly regarding its use in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to explore health consumers’ behavioral intention to use telemedicine examining the associated factors such as eHealth literacy and attitudes toward telemedicine services.MethodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted to collect data on demographics, health status, internet skills, attitudes toward telemedicine, and eHealth literacy. An online survey was administered at two large public gatherings in Riyadh. The eHEALS-Pl scale was used to measure perceived eHealth literacy levels, and data analysis was performed using SPSS (IBM Corp. United States).ResultsThere were 385 participants, with an equal distribution of genders. The largest age group was 18–20 years old (57%). Nearly half of the participants were neither employed nor students, while 43% had access to governmental hospitals through employment. 71% reported proficiency in using the internet. Health-wise, 47% rated their health as excellent, and 56% did not have medical insurance. 87% expressed a high likelihood of using telemedicine if offered by a provider. Participants were categorized based on their eHealth Literacy scores, with 54% scoring low and 46% scoring high. Overall, participants showed positive attitudes toward telemedicine, with 82% agreeing that it saves time, money, and provides access to specialized care. About half of the participants perceived the process of seeing a doctor through telemedicine video as complex. Both eHealth Literacy and attitudes toward telemedicine showed a statistically significant association with the intention to use telemedicine (p < 0.001). There was a positive and significant correlation between eHealth Literacy and attitudes (ρ =0.460; p < 0.001). Multivariate ordinal regression analysis revealed that the odds for a high likelihood of intention to use telemedicine significantly increased with positive attitudes (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed the significant mediating role of attitudes toward telemedicine in the relationship between eHealth Literacy and the intention to use telemedicine.ConclusionThe findings underline the importance of enhancing health literacy and consumer attitudes toward telemedicine, particularly during the healthcare digital transformation we are experiencing globally. This is crucial for promoting increased acceptance and utilization of telemedicine services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Healthcare Providers’ Perception and Barriers Concerning the Use of Telehealth Applications in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-Based Applications among Saudi Population

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-Based Applications among Saudi Population

The Usage of Digital Health Mobile-based Applications Among Saudi Population

Exploring behavioral intention to use telemedicine services post COVID-19: a cross sectional study in Saudi Arabia

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