Utilization, challenges, and training needs of digital health technologies: Perspectives from healthcare professionals

IF 3.7 2区医学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS

International Journal of Medical Informatics Pub Date : 2025-02-11 DOI:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2025.105833

Ruby Khan , Sumbal Khan , Hailah M. Almohaimeed , Amany I. Almars , Bakht Pari

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction: Digital health technology (DHTs), such as electronic health records (EHRs), mobile health apps, and remote monitoring systems, is revolutionizing contemporary healthcare by improving diagnosis, patient care, and operational efficiency. Notwithstanding these developments, infrastructure, technical assistance, and personnel training remain obstacles to the successful deployment of DHTs.

Methods: 500 medical experts participated in a survey to evaluate the use, advantages, and challenges of DHTs. The frequency of DHT use, the perceived advantages, and the challenges—such as technical difficulties and a lack of training—were the main topics of the data gathered.

Results: The most popular technology was mobile health apps (44.4%), followed by EHR systems and diagnostic tools (33.3%). Benefits reported included decreased administrative burden (50%) and increased diagnostic accuracy (46.2%). However, there significant obstacles were found, though: 63% of respondents said they had only received limited training, and 51.9% mentioned software bugs and network problems. Despite these obstacles, 63% of those surveyed reported increases in the effectiveness of healthcare delivery.

Discussion: Our study finds a gap between the infrastructure needed for DHTs to be implemented successfully and their quick adoption. This study challenges the notion that adopting technology alone increases productivity by highlighting the importance of thorough technical assistance and staff training. These issues need to be resolved if DHTs are to be fully utilized for improved healthcare delivery and operational effectiveness.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Medical Informatics 医学-计算机：信息系统

CiteScore

8.90

自引率

4.10%

发文量

217

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： International Journal of Medical Informatics provides an international medium for dissemination of original results and interpretative reviews concerning the field of medical informatics. The Journal emphasizes the evaluation of systems in healthcare settings. The scope of journal covers: Information systems, including national or international registration systems, hospital information systems, departmental and/or physician''s office systems, document handling systems, electronic medical record systems, standardization, systems integration etc.; Computer-aided medical decision support systems using heuristic, algorithmic and/or statistical methods as exemplified in decision theory, protocol development, artificial intelligence, etc. Educational computer based programs pertaining to medical informatics or medicine in general; Organizational, economic, social, clinical impact, ethical and cost-benefit aspects of IT applications in health care.