ReviewHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2026
Digital Health Revolution in Saudi Arabia: A Narrative Review of Healthcare Transformation.
Review in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Digital transformation (DT) is a strategic priority for healthcare systems seeking to improve the quality of care, patient safety, and operational efficiency. In Saudi Arabia, DT is central to Vision 2030; however, evidence regarding its effects on healthcare quality and safety remains dispersed across technologies and healthcare settings. This narrative review aimed to examine the impact of digital transformation on healthcare quality and patient safety in Saudi Arabia and to identify the principal implementation facilitators, barriers, and policy implications. A structured narrative literature search was conducted for publications from January 2010 to March 2026 using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Saudi Digital Library, and relevant Saudi governmental and policy documents. In total, 64 peer-reviewed studies, reviews, reports, and policy documents addressing digital health initiatives and outcomes related to quality, safety, efficiency, or patient experience were included. Evidence was synthesized thematically, focusing on electronic health records, digital prescribing, online appointment systems, clinical and pharmacy automation, claims and financial analytics, telemedicine, governance, and workforce factors. The reviewed evidence indicates that Electronic Health Record (EHRs), computerized provider order entry, e-prescribing, barcode-supported medication systems, telemedicine, digital appointment platforms, and automated workflows can improve access to care, documentation, care coordination, medication safety, workflow efficiency, and patient experience. However, the benefits of DT are constrained by fragmented infrastructure, limited interoperability, workforce resistance, insufficient digital literacy, funding limitations, and unclear or fragmented governance and regulatory arrangements. In conclusion, digital transformation has substantial potential to enhance healthcare quality and patient safety in Saudi Arabia. Achieving these benefits requires context-sensitive implementation, interoperable systems, strong governance, sustained investment in infrastructure and workforce capacity, and effective leadership and change-management strategies aligned with Vision 2030.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.