Technology-Enhanced Strategies to Improve Patient Safety Within Healthcare Institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Preventable adverse events are a major concern in healthcare systems, and they also have their presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which is being rapidly digitized. Although the use of technology-enhanced strategies is a common practice to enhance patient safety, current research in the KSA setting has been mainly dedicated to adoption rates, but there is a significant gap in knowledge on the particular circumstances that establish their practical efficacy. This research was thus done to determine the main determinants of effective implementation and their effect on the safety outcomes. The study used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, which included the collection of data by 372 healthcare professionals in the marvel of the Ministry of Health hospitals, private hospitals, and medical cities in KSA by using a cross-sectional survey, and then interviews were conducted in depth. Perceived effectiveness was measured by a validated scale (Cronbach's 873 = 0.873) and was compared to technology usage and implementation context scores through multiple regression analysis, ANOVA analysis, and moderation analysis. The findings indicated that the implementation context score ( = 0.403, p < 0.001) outperformed technology usage alone ( = 0.365, p < 0.001) as a predictor of perceived effectiveness, and the model accounted for 58.3% of the variance (Adjusted R 2 = 0.583). The corresponding report of informatics staff revealed a much higher effectiveness, and the moderation effect was verified when it comes to the informatics staff (interaction coeff = 0.211, p = 0.041). The barriers analysis showed patterns that were institution-specific, as poor training was common in the public hospital and more common in the advanced facilities, were technical reliability issues. The results of the study indicate that patient safety technologies depend on whether they will be successful, less on the tools that are available, and more on the quality of the human and organizational ecosystem around them. This result requires a strategic change in perspective whereby the emphasis of the procurement process should be shifted to robust implementation science with customized training and support structures to achieve the maximum safety potential of digital health investments in KSA and related settings.