INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Telemedicine Policy and Practice Recommendations from Saudi Arabia’s Journey
The COVID-19 pandemic has positively influenced the uptake of telemedicine service provision, due to lockdowns, social distancing mandates and concern surrounding infection risks to healthcare practitioners (HCPs) and patients. Although the benefits of telemedicine have been proven in the recent shift to the ‘new normal’ post-COVID, there are significant barriers to adoption and successful implementation, such as HCP knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and health organisation administration clarity and communication of policy and procedures for telemedicine. We discuss some of these key issues in our article below. Rana O Al-Khanbanshi, Pharmacy Quality Coordinator
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nformation and Communication Technology (ICT) has had a significant impact on the quality and safety of patient-centred healthcare delivery in diagnosis, management, and monitoring of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Modern technology has enabled HCPs to remotely monitor and record patient medical information, such as physiological vital signs, lab results, radiology images, and medication regimens. ICT plays a key role in re-engineering healthcare costs as well as reducing medical errors and patient complaints.
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