Alamri Hamad Mohammed, Alshagrawi Salah
Ministry of Health, Eastern Health Cluster, Ras Tanura General Hospital, Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2024 Nov 14;17:5225-5235. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S498125. eCollection 2024.
The utilization of telehealth as an effective means to provide quality services is steadily rising across different tiers of the health system. However, advancing telehealth utilization relies on the current healthcare systems' infrastructure, policies, cultural factors, and utilization requirements can influence the utilization of telehealth within Saudi Arabia's healthcare system.
This study seeks to systematically review the literature related to examining the factors influencing telehealth adoption and identifying the barriers and determinants of the use of telehealth in Saudi's healthcare system.
A systematic review methodology was utilized in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The methodology included an exploratory and narrative design, a dual-phase search strategy, eligibility criteria, and analysis. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool was employed to assess the quality of the chosen papers.
The search yielded 3197 articles to which eligibility criteria were applied. Thirteen articles were deemed eligible, screened, and utilized for comprehensive analysis in the present study. Numerous articles indicated that the utilization of telehealth has risen in Saudi Arabia, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investment strategies have aligned with the demand for telehealth systems. The primary challenges were resource limitations and the absence of cultural frameworks conducive to the utilization of telehealth in the country.
Telehealth represents a major technological breakthrough in the healthcare industry. However, there are some drawbacks to its adoption. The limited availability of Telehealth technologies poses a significant challenge. Secondly, relying solely on privatization might not adequately address the issue at hand. Third, there is a lack of knowledge and awareness regarding its associated benefits among healthcare staff. The establishment of telemedicine and telehealth infrastructure necessitates significant financial investment, which serves as a major factor and obstacle to the widespread adoption of telehealth.
远程医疗作为提供优质服务的有效手段，在卫生系统的不同层面正稳步兴起。然而，推进远程医疗的应用依赖于当前医疗系统的基础设施、政策、文化因素，而这些利用要求可能会影响沙特阿拉伯医疗系统中远程医疗的应用。
本研究旨在系统回顾与考察影响远程医疗采用的因素以及识别沙特医疗系统中远程医疗使用的障碍和决定因素相关的文献。
根据系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南采用系统评价方法。该方法包括探索性和叙述性设计、双阶段搜索策略、纳入标准和分析。采用乔安娜·布里格斯研究所（JBI）工具评估所选论文的质量。
搜索得到3197篇文章，并对其应用了纳入标准。本研究中13篇文章被认为符合纳入标准、经过筛选并用于综合分析。许多文章表明，沙特阿拉伯远程医疗的应用有所增加，尤其是在新冠疫情期间。投资策略与远程医疗系统的需求相一致。主要挑战是资源限制以及该国缺乏有利于远程医疗应用的文化框架。
远程医疗是医疗行业的一项重大技术突破。然而，其采用存在一些缺点。远程医疗技术的可用性有限构成了重大挑战。其次，仅依靠私有化可能无法充分解决手头问题。第三，医护人员对其相关益处缺乏了解和认识。建立远程医疗和远程健康基础设施需要大量财政投资，这是远程医疗广泛应用的一个主要因素和障碍。
