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A few decades ago, the government of Saudi Arabia introduced electronic medical records EMRs in some health care facilities. However, the progress in adopting these systems on a national level was slow. In , the Saudi Ministry of Health started an initiative to expand and optimize the use of EMRs in governmental health care institutions.
However, some obstacles facing this ambitious plan remain, including negative attitudes of some health care professionals toward EMR systems. Other barriers include poor computer literacy, lack of system customization to hospital needs, and poor support and training from information technology IT personnel.
Identifying and addressing these barriers is essential for the optimal application of EMR systems in all health care facilities. In this review, the author focused on the benefits of widespread adoption of EMRs in Saudi Arabia, the perceptions of health care professionals, and the challenges and barriers toward improved implementation of this technology.
Keywords: electronic medical records, health care, health promotion, primary care, Saudi Arabia. Nowadays, the implementation of information technology in the health care system is a must. Hence, medical systems have undergone several changes, including the transition of paper-based medical records to electronic medical records EMRs.
