Health information systems in Jordan and Palestine: the need for health informatics training

Abstract

Background: Some Arab countries have health information systems (HIS) in place but they lack well trained IT staff. Poor management and lack of appreciation of the importance of HIS are major barriers to development and adoption of HIS in Arab hospitals. Aims: This research is part of a survey carried out to determine health informatics (HI) use and to assess the training needs of health professionals in Jordan and Palestine. Methods: A survey was conducted in 2017 among employees in all health professions at 14 hospitals in Jordan and Palestine to assess their use of the HI system and to assess the HI skills needed in both countries. Results: The majority of respondents reported that their hospital departments were employing computer systems to run services. More than half had received training in computer skills but also half said they needed specialized training in HI. Between 58.0% and 73.6% agreed that their hospitals provided the necessary support to operate HI systems. The vast majority (86.0%) of health professionals reported that they needed skills to monitor diagnosis and treatment, including access to clinical findings. Other skills needed included using shared hospital services (85.6%), using medical records (84.7%), managing electronic patient data (84.5%), using patient medical records to conduct clinical research (83.4%), and using tele-care services and technologies effectively (75.9%). Conclusions: Health professionals in Palestine and Jordan are in need of training in HI and therefore educational programmes in the area of HI are strongly recommended.