Current Knowledge, Satisfaction, and Use of E-health Mobile Application (Seha) among the General Population of Saudi Arabia: A National Survey (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Background: The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) decided to enhance telemedicine provision by introducing the Seha mobile app; however, the perception of the Seha app has not been extensively explored from the perspective of the general population OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the current knowledge, satisfaction, and barriers to the use of the Seha app among the general population in Saudi Arabia. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was distributed among the general population of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the respondents’ characteristics. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages. A chi-square (χ2) test was conducted to assess the statistical difference between respondents’ demographic characteristics and their knowledge and use of the Seha app. RESULTS 2,921 (58%) of the respondents had heard of the app, although only 1,286 (25%) had used Seha. Higher users were noticed among those above 51 years of age and females, 67 (35%) and 804 (28%), respectively. Highest Seha users were from the western region, 388 (29%: P <0.05). Consulting a doctor was the most frequently used service, 576 (58%). Respondents strongly agreed, 402 (41%), or agreed, 470 (48%), that Seha was easy to use. Moreover, 538 (54%) strongly agreed and 343 (35%) agreed that they would recommend Seha to others. The most common barrier to using the Seha app was a lack of knowledge about the app and its benefits, 1,556 (35%). CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Utilization of the Seha app in Saudi Arabia is very low due to a lack of knowledge about the app and its benefits. Demographic factors and awareness were predictors for higher utilization. Seha was easy to use, and the majority would recommend it to others. Future studies are needed to explore the factors associated with the low rate of use.

Digital Health Platforms in Saudi Arabia: Determinants from the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience

“…Optimising DHTPs requires previous experience in the cycle of knowledge translations of health innovations and digital health technologies [17,19]. This experience has been reported in Saudi Arabia through previous studies, which described the potential and acceptability of DHTPs among the Saudi population.…”

“…The development of DHTPs to improve the accessibility of healthcare services across the kingdom was already in place following the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which stressed the importance of adopting and developing a national telehealth network [16][17][18].…”

“…In response to the COVID-19 crisis, a multidisciplinary Saudi team from different sectors, including commercial partners, joined forces to overcome these challenges and make the DHTPs easily accessible to citizens and non-citizens in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The development of DHTPs to improve the accessibility of healthcare services across the kingdom was already in place following the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which stressed the importance of adopting and developing a national telehealth network [16][17][18].…”

“…The technical determinant of optimising DHTPs in Saudi Arabia was the robust infrastructure of both networks and technologies [38]. The MOH in Saudi Arabia effectively encouraged people to use DHTPs to receive care rather than visiting primary care clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic [3,17]. DHTPs were central to the role of primary health services to help with triage and mitigating the spread of COVID- 19 [1,2,39,40].…”

Optimising Digital Health Platforms in Saudi Arabia: Determinants from the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience

“…The development of DHTPs to improve the accessibility of healthcare services across the kingdom was already in place following the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which stressed the importance of adopting and developing a national telehealth network [15][16][17].…”