A Technology-Enhanced Model for Improving Patient Workflow and Safety in Healthcare Services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The discontinuous health information systems within the Saudi Arabian hospital setting pose a major impediment to patient workflow and jeopardize safety climates, but there is a gap in the literature on evidence-based, integrated frameworks to tackle these interrelated challenges. This paper thus set out to identify particular workflow bottlenecks, develop a holistic technology-enhanced framework, and test its perceived effectiveness in healthcare professionals. It utilized a mixed-methods, sequential explanatory design to obtain data through a structured questionnaire on 350 employees of two large tertiary care hospitals in Riyadh. Descriptive statistics, the one-way ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and paired samples t-tests were used as the methodology to compare perceptions of existing systems and a proposed one consisting of EHR, RTLS, and automatic alerts. Quantitative findings supported the existence of serious pre-model inefficiencies with low mean scores on workflow efficiency (M=2.35), safety climate(M=2.89), and technology integration (M=2.21) on a 5-point scale. Technology integration was found to be significantly and strongly related to both workflow ( =0.36, p<0.001) and safety ( =0.41, p<0.001). The greatest bottlenecks were reported by administrative staff (M=1.95, p<0.001). On the other hand, the suggested model was overwhelmingly endorsed, but perceived usability (M=4.38) and efficacy (M=4.46) were also high. A paired t-test estimated a drastic change in workflow after the implementation (mean difference=-1.80, Cohen, d=3.00, p=0.001), which was primarily caused by usability ( -0.80, p=0.001). The research concludes that an integrated technology model, based on a user-centered approach, is of high priority and is generally backed to fill the gap between the national investments in the field of digital health expenditures and the frontline operational performance of Saudi healthcare, and offer a legitimate framework that might be applied in the future.