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Computer literacy improvement needs: physicians' self assessment in the makkah region
Hani Abdulsattar Shake1, Mian Usman Farooq
1Assistant Director General Planning and Development, Health Informatics Consultant in Ministry of Health, Directorate General of Health Affairs, Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Physicians in Saudi Arabia require enhanced computer skills for electronic medical records. This study identifies substantial needs in areas like word processing and database searching to improve patient information entry.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Medical Education
- Digital Health
Background:
- Physician resistance to electronic medical records (EMR) data entry was identified in Makkah region hospitals.
- This resistance highlighted potential gaps in physicians' digital competencies.
- Addressing these needs is crucial for effective EMR system adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the specific computer literacy needs of physicians in the Makkah region.
- To identify areas where computer skills training is most required for EMR use.
- To inform strategies for improving digital health integration in healthcare settings.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 451 physicians across six Ministry of Health hospitals.
- A structured questionnaire with nine dichotomous (yes/no) questions was used.
- Computer skill needs were categorized as 'none,' 'little,' 'some,' or 'substantial' based on response rates.
Main Results:
- An 82% response rate was achieved.
- A substantial need for improvement was found in word processing (MS Word), presentation (PowerPoint), internet search, medical database search, spreadsheet (Excel), and advanced email management skills.
- Other computer literacy areas showed a 'some' need for improvement.
Conclusions:
- Physicians in the Makkah region demonstrate a significant need for enhanced computer literacy.
- Targeted training in specific software and digital skills is recommended.
- Improving computer skills is essential for successful EMR implementation and patient data management.
Objective:
A confidential inquiry by the Directorate General of health affairs, Makkah region, Saudi Arabia, found physicians were resistant to enter patient-related information in the electronic medical records system at different hospitals. This study aims to highlight their computer literacy needs.
Methods:
This cross-sectional survey was conducted on physicians using a structured questionnaire bearing nine questions/stems with dichotomous answers, (i.e., yes/no) that was distributed among physicians at six different Ministry of Health hospitals in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia, between May and August 2009. The results for future needs in computer skills were categorized as "none" if the rate of answer "yes" to any stem was 0-25%, "little" if 26-50%, "some" if 51-75% and "substantial" if >75% rated "yes".
Results:
The response rate of 82% of determined sample size (n = 451) was attained. Computer literacy improvement elements (CLIE), i.e., "word processing software skills (MS Word)", "presentation software skills (Power Point)", "internet search skills", "medical database search skills", "spreadsheet software skills (Excel)" and "advanced e-mail management skills" were in "substantial" need of improvement among the majority of settings and categories. All other computer literacy improvement elements were in "some" need of improvement.
Conclusion:
The overall outcome of this study indicates that physicians need further computer literacy improvements.
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