Electronic dental record (EDR) use in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study

Ahmad Almaiman*, Salwa Bahkali, Ahlam Bahkali, Sarah Almaiman, Ashraf Elmetwally, Mowafa Househ

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide an overview of the electronic dental records (EDR) systems used at National Guard Health Affair (NGHA) hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Different sources of data were collected between February 18 and March 16, 2014. Sources of data included interviews with key informants. Key informants interviews included one 30 minute interview with an information technology specialist working at NGHA; seven 30-40 minute interview with dentists working in both the NGHA hospital and affiliated NGHA Primary Healthcare Clinics (PHCs). Two dental ward clerks were interviewed for 30 minutes and two dental directors were interviewed for 1 hour each. Four main themes emerged as a result of the analysis of the data. The main themes that emerged centered on staff satisfaction and workload, incomplete information, missing files, and adoption of EDRs. There were several challenges identified with the use of EDRs in Saudi Arabia. The challenges related to resistance to use the EDRs by clinical staff; lack of computer skills by clinical staff; usability of the systems; lack of interest in using EDRs; and lack of a clear management change strategy. Moving forward, these issues should be addressed so that more EDRs are implemented in all healthcare institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIntegrating Information Technology and Management for Quality of Care
PublisherIOS Press
Pages169-172
Number of pages4
ISBN (Print)9781614994220
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes
Event12th International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare, ICIMTH 2014 - Athens, Greece
Duration: 10 Jul 201413 Jul 2014

Publication series

NameStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume202
ISSN (Print)0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)1879-8365

Conference

Conference12th International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare, ICIMTH 2014
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityAthens
Period10/07/1413/07/14

Keywords

  • Dental informatics
  • Dentistry
  • Information technology
  • Saudi Arabia

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