REPORT

Adaptation and use of Telemedicine in Saudi Arabia.

Article 1- Barriers and challenges in adopting Saudi telemedicine

network: The perceptions of decision makers of healthcare facilities in
Saudi Arabia (Tamara Sunbule, 2016)
Take me to the article

Summary
Telemedicine is distant or faraway treatment of the patients with the help of tele-
communication technology.
The article states that adaptation of Telemedicine in Saudi Arabia is a failed project
as the 75% of them are abandoned. It goes on to identify the barrier and challenges
for the same. The research of the article is based on the Saudi Telemedicine Network
roadmap. Saudi Ministry of Health also collaborated to meet the objective of the
article.
Precisely, the article identifies the challenges and barriers of Telemedicine in Saudi
Arabia with the help of perspectives of decision makers appointed at Health
Facilities. Further, it implements a three-sequence approach i.e. Literature review,
Questionnaires and interviews. Three major theories (The Evaluating Telemedicine
Systems Success Model, The Technology Organization Environment and the Unified
Theory of Acceptance/Use of Technology) are also implemented to make the article
a reality.
Article points at the three major barriers to adopt and use Telemedicine- 1)
Compensation of Telemedicine services. 2) Installing services (telemedicine) with
vision, needs, core missions and constraints of Healthcare Facilities. 3) Sufficient
Financial Support to operate, implement and run the Telemedicine System.

Key points
 The article applied the data comparison Analysis and the source triangulation.
 Statistical Package for the social Science Software (SPSS) was used for data
analysis.
 Apart from common barriers, each type, sector and locations of Healthcare
Facilities has their own barrier and challenges.
 Regional Research Ethics Committee at Saudi Ministry of Health and
Staffordshire University approves the research done in the article.
Lesson Learned
The use and adaptation of telemedicine can become a functional reality in Saudi
Arabia if the HealthCare Facilities are funded properly with a vision, mission and a
healthy compensation or reimbursement system.

Article 2- The Role and Use of Telemedicine by Physicians in Developing

Countries: A Case Report from Saudi Arabia (Mohamed Khalifa, 2015)
Take me to the article

Summary
The article gauges the preference, awareness, requirements attitude and perception
of physicians in Saudi Arabia towards Telemedicine tech.
Most physicians showed a keen interest and a sound awareness about the subject.
The use of telemedicine technology depends on the previous experience, awareness,
knowledge and age of the physicians.
Key points
  Survey for telemedicine perception and awareness among 219 physicians was
conducted in the city of Al-Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
 SPSS software was used for data Analysis.
 Availability of telemedicine services in Saudi Arabia is low as compared to
the developed nations.
 Telemedicine has a bright future in Saudi Arabia when it gets a consideration
from the vital decision makers.
Lesson Learned
Telemedicine needs more time, awareness and consideration in developing countries
to improve the efficiency of Healthcare Facilities. Saudi Arabia can become the next
big thing in the telemedicine if and only if taken into consideration by the chief
decision makers.

Article 3- Assessment of telemedicine by physicians at Prince Sultan

Military Medical City. (Nasser, 2016)
Take me to the article

Summary
The article aims at the evaluating the perception (regarding accessibility,
effectiveness and barriers faced by them and their patients) of physicians towards
Telemedicine at Prince Sultan Military Medical city.
101 physicians from 24 departments became the part of survey. Three quarters were
very satisfied by the effectiveness of Telemedicine. When it came to the accessibility
and barriers, they felt organizational, technical, communicational and cultural
difficulties.
Key points
 Telemedicine survey was assessed with a well-designed Questionnaire.
  Researchers distributed Questionnaire personally.
 IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software for windows was used to analyze the data.
 Demographics include- Middle-aged male physicians, Saudi nationality with
15 years of experience.
 Telemedicine implemented in developed nations prove to be cost effective.
Saudi Arabia has an excellent opportunity with Telemedcine.
Lesson Learned
Telemedicine can cut the cost of reaching to the physicians. Long queues, hospital
acquired infections will become a thing of past with mainstream introduction of
Telemedicine.
The physicians still feel many drawbacks regarding services, quality, efficiency and
barriers of Telemedicine. A better implementation strategy must be introduced
which can connect doctors and patients flawlessly.

References
Mohamed Khalifa, A. A.-M. (2015). The Role and Use of Telemedicine by Physicians in Developing
Countries: A Case Report from Saudi Arabia.

Nasser, H. A. (2016). Assessment of telemedicine by physicians at Prince Sultan Military Medical City.
Journal of Nutrition and Human Health.

Tamara Sunbule, A. A. (2016). Barriers and challenges in adopting Saudi telemedicine network: The
perceptions of decision makers of healthcare facilities in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Infection and
Public Health.