Privacy Issues Hindering Implementation and Use of Electronic Health Records in the Middle East

Abstract

Electronic health records are a radical advancement in the current society especially in the delivery of health care since it brings efficiency in the management of healthcare records as well as improvement of patients' health. However, certain challenges have risen in the Middle East specifically concerning EHR implementation which is privacy. Based on these antecedents and acknowledgments of differences in cultural, religious, and regulatory aspects in the Middle Eastern countries, the following specific challenges are postulated as specific to the Middle Eastern Region in the implementation of EHR. To this end, the current systematic review seeks to explore the complex array of privacy issues that underlie the effective adoption and usage of EHR systems in MEHI (Heston, 2024). The healthcare sector of Middle Eastern countries has been through a process of sharp recent years, and many countries have increased investment in digital healthcare systems. However, the diffusion of EHR systems still lacks a more integrated and coherent approach and it is still considered rather fragmented and problematic in nature because of privacy issues, which can be technical, cultural, and regulatory. Awareness of these challenges is essential for future healthcare managers, authorities, and IT developers dedicated to improving IT-based healthcare in the area.