The Experience and Satisfaction of Physicians with Electronic Health Systems in Healthcare Establishments in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Figures & data

Table 1 The Domains and a List of Items Measuring Physicians’ Satisfaction with Electronic Health Systems

Items

Information technology (IT) support

The information technology specialists respond to the feedback concerning health system improvement suggestions

The support of the information technology specialists when facing technical difficulties is satisfactory (eg a system crash or data access)

Training/computer skills

Training/orientation to use the electronic health systems was satisfactory

Computer literacy (eg fast typing) can affect the ability of physicians to use health systems*

Interface and system design

The interface design of electronic health systems are user friendly

The electronic health systems have competent data security features

Language barriers can affect the ability to use electronic health systems*

Workload

The electronic health systems enhance clinical workflow (eg laboratory and pharmacy requests)

The electronic health systems reduce work-related stress and burnout

Electronic health systems help save time

Using multiple/fragmented health systems is satisfactory

Physician support

Electronic health systems enable access to patient data from other departments/hospitals/ primary healthcare (PHC)

Electronic health systems enable remote access to patient data (from outside the healthcare establishment)

Electronic health systems provide assistance concerning updated clinical guidelines

Electronic health systems provide alerts concerning important patient allergies, drugs interactions, or incorrect medication entries

Electronic health systems may require entering the same patient data on more than one occasion*

Patient support

Using electronic health systems can disturb communication between the physician and the patient during history-taking and physical examination*

Electronic health systems facilitate patient referral to other healthcare establishments

Patients can remotely access their medical records, findings and reports

Electronic health systems enhance patient data confidentiality

Data quality

Health data quality and completeness are dependent on the physician entering the data*

In my healthcare facility, patient data are made available for research and development

Note: *Items indicating challenge or less satisfactory experience.

Table 2 The Demographic Characteristics of 445 Physicians from Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Age: median [IQR]	27 [26–32]
Gender: frequency [proportion]
Male	260 [58.4%]
Female	185 [41.6%]
Nationality
Saudi	363 [81.6%]
Non-Saudi	82 [18.4%]
Education level
Bachelor	338 [76%]
High diploma	2 [0.4%]
Masters	33 [7.4%]
PhD	10 [2.2%]
Board certificate	41 [9.2%]
Fellowship	21 [4.7%]
Current employment rank
Intern	130 [29.2%]
Resident/ board trainee	206 [46.3%]
Senior registrar	64 [14.4%]
Consultant	38 [8.5%]
Other	7 [1.6%]
Current work setting
Primary care	55 [12.4%]
Hospital	390 [87.6%]
Years of experience: median [IQR]	2 [1–6]
Average number of patients managed daily	10 [6–18]

Table 3 The Experience and Satisfaction of 445 Physicians in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, Concerning the Use of Electronic Health Systems

Item Frequency [Proportion]	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Not Applicable
IT support
The IT specialists respond to the feedback concerning health system improvement suggestions	31 [7%]	64 [14.4%]	134 [30.1%]	147 [33%]	57 [12.8%]	12 [2.7%]
The support of the IT specialists when facing technical difficulties is satisfactory (such as system crash or data access)	25 [5.6%]	45 [10.1%]	160 [36%]	144 [32.4%]	68 [15.3%]	3 [0.7%]
Training / computer skills
Training/orientation to use the electronic health systems was satisfactory	45 [10.1%]	62 [13.9%]	136 [30.6%]	129 [29%]	68 [15.3%]	5 [1.1%]
Computer literacy (such as fast typing) can affect the ability of physicians to use health systems	21 [4.7%]	35 [7.9%]	103 [23.1%]	185 [41.6%]	98 [22%]	3 [0.7%]
Interface and system design
The interfaces design of electronic health systems are user friendly	24 [5.4%]	32 [7.2%]	174 [39.1%]	168 [37.8%]	46 [10.3%]	1 [0.2%]
The electronic health systems have competent data security features	17 [3.8%]	31 [7%]	170 [38.2]	170 [38.2]	50 [11.2%]	7 [1.6%]
Language barriers can affect the ability to use the electronic health systems	42 [9.4%]	74 [16.6%]	147 [33%]	109 [24.5%]	56 [12.6%]	6 [1.3%]
Work load
The electronic health systems enhances clinical work flow (such as laboratory and pharmacy requests)	21 [4.7%]	27 [6.1%]	105 [23.6%]	179 [40.2%]	110 [24.7%]	3 [0.7%]
The electronic health systems reduces work’s related stress and burnout	36 [8.1]	72 [16.2%]	143 [32.1%]	117 [26.3%]	75 [16.9%]	2 [0.4%]
The electronic health systems are time saving	48 [10.8%]	52 [11.7%]	91 [20.4%]	128 [28.8%]	121 [27.2%]	5 [1.1%]
Having to use multiple/fragmented health systems is satisfactory	46 [10.3%]	68 [15.3%]	144 [32.4%]	133 [29.9%]	44 [9.9%]	10 [2.2%]
Physician support
Electronic health systems enable access of patients’ data from other departments/ Hospitals/PHCs	30 [6.7%]	47 [10.6%]	117 [26.3%]	170 [38.2%]	70 [15.7%]	11 [2.5%]
Electronic health systems enable remote access to patients’ data (from outside the healthcare establishment)*	50 [11.2%]	57 [12.8%]	127 [28.5%]	110 [24.7%]	86 [19.3%]	14 [3.1%]
Electronic health systems provides assistance concerning updated clinical guidelines	44 [9.9%]	52 [11.7%]	159 [35.7%]	121 [27.2%]	58 [13%]	11 [2.5%]
Electronic health systems provides alerts concerning important patients’ allergies, drugs interactions, or wrong medications entry	26 [5.8%]	36 [8.1%]	109 [24.5%]	161 [36.2%]	104 [23.4%]	9 [2%]
Electronic health systems may require entering same patient data in more than one occasion	28 [6.3%]	58 [13%]	147 [33%]	145 [32.6%]	58 [13%]	9 [2%]
Patient support
Use of electronic health systems can disturb the communication between the physician and the patient during history taking and physical examination	42 [9.4%]	112 [25.2%]	123 [27.6%]	120 [27%]	43 [9.7%]	5 [1.1%]
Electronic health systems facilitate patients referral to other healthcare establishments	25 [5.6%]	45 [10.1%]	127 [28.5%]	157 [35.3%]	82 [18.4%]	9 [2%]
Patients can remotely access their medical records findings and reports	50 [11.2%]	73 [16.4%]	146 [32.8%]	122 [27.4%]	42 [9.4%]	12 [2.7%]
Electronic health system enhances patients data confidentiality	17 [3.8%]	42 [9.4%]	153 [34.4%]	149 [33.5%]	75 [16.9%]	9 [2%]
Data quality
Health data quality and completeness are dependent on the physician entering the data	18 [4%]	20 [4.5%]	99 [22.2%]	195 [43.8%]	110 [24.7%]	3 [0.7%]
In my healthcare facility, patients data are made available for research and development	35 [7.9%]	44 [9.9%]	171 [38.4%]	131 [29.4%]	41 [9.2%]	23 [5.2%]

Note: *One missing case.

Figure 1 The satisfaction of 445 physicians from the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia concerning e-health systems according to specific domain.

Table 4 Assessment of Factors Associated with the Level of Satisfaction of 445 Physicians from Jazan, Saudi Arabia Concerning e-Health Systems

Satisfaction Levels
	Lower Level	Higher Level	Total	P value
Gender				0.70*
Male	138 [53.1%]	122 [46.9%]	260 [100%]
Female	102 [55.1%]	83 [44.9%]	185 [100%]
Nationality				0.46*
Saudi	199 [54.8%]	164 [45.2%]	363 [100%]
Non-Saudi	41 [50%]	41 [50%]	82 [100%]
Current work setting				0.01*
Primary care	38 [69.1%]	17 [30.9%]	55 [100%]
Hospital	202 [51.8%]	188 [48.2%]	390 [100%]
Age				0.18*
27 or less	130 [57%]	98 [43%]	228 [100%]
More than 27	110 [50.7%]	107 [49.3%]	217 [100%]
Years of experience				0.057*
2 years or less	139 [58.2%]	100 [41.8%]	239 [100%]
More than 2 years	101 [49%]	105 [51%]	206 [100%]
Number of patients managed daily				0.29*
10 or less	134 [51.7%]	125 [48.3%]	259 [100%]
More than 10	106 [57%]	80 [43%]	186 [100%]
Employment rank				<0.001**
Intern	74 [56.9%]	56 [43.1%]	130 [100%]
Resident/ Board trainee	115 [55.8%]	91 [44.2%]	206 [100%]
Senior registrar	20 [31.3%]	44 [68.8%]	64 [100%]
Consultant	30 [78.9%]	8 [21.1%]	38 [100%]
Other	1 [14.3%]	6 [85.7%]	7 [100%]

Note: *Chi-square test **Fisher’s exact test.