COMPUTER COMPETENCY AS AN INDICATOR OF HEALTHCARE INSTITUTION READINESS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS: A STUDY IN BENGHAZI

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals' computer competency is one aspect of healthcare institutions' readiness assessment for the implementation and adoption of health information systems (HIS). Computer competent healthcare professionals normally have a positive attitude toward HIS which is considered to be an important facilitating factor for the implementation process. Aim: To discuss computer competency in healthcare and investigate computer competency of healthcare professionals in four healthcare institutions in Benghazi. Methods: The cross-section qualitative research administered a questionnaire to collect data from four healthcare institutions in Benghazi; aspects evaluated were related to computer use, understanding of IT concepts, and general attitudes toward computers. With a 69% response rate; 93 participants (physicians, nursing staff and public health practitioners) filled the questionnaire. Results: The majority of the participants think that computers could be useful for their work and that they have confidence in using them. 29% of the participants use computers at work and the same percentage have attended formal training in IT. Data entry could be a challenge for using computers, particularly among physicians. There is also a knowledge gap about important underlying IT concepts among healthcare professionals in these institutions. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals at these institutions are likely to have a positive attitude toward any future HIS implementations. Lack of use of computers at work, lack of formal IT training, and data entry challenges are some of the issues that need to be addressed before any realistic implementation can be considered.