Patient information system for national health care : an intranet internet-based model for the State of Kuwait

Abstract

This research seeks to introduce for the first time a conceptual solution to Kuwait's problems in healthcare delivery. The core objective of the study which is to promote and recommend the basis for the best possible patient information and national healthcare delivery system in the State of Kuwait. The research question is directed towards the appropriateness and usefulness of introducing the pay-per-use concept in the context of national (Kuwait) and global use. The research introduces a new pay-per-use concept for IT services associated with Kuwait's healthcare delivery system within an environment that is investment, communication, technology, platform, database and application-independent. Being the first study on health informatics in Kuwait, the research also sheds light on the contemporary health industry and addresses issues that focus on health information management within the State of Kuwait. The new paradigm for healthcare delivery is presented in such a way that both the potential practical benefits for national users (Kuwait) and the advantages that may be reaped by global users within the health industry are described. The required shift in the paradigm in Kuwait healthcare will take the form of cultural and social transformations, namely, changes in the doctor-patient relationship and in the increase of patient empowerment where health issues are concerned. The research methodology uses a social process (Grounded Theory) to delineate social context (clinical scenario) in order to understand the relationships between medical work and IT networks. Analysis of the data obtained from the clinical scenario and implications of human experiences within the social settings enable the interpretation and the development of a theory, and a model architecture, that can be used for pay-per-use. The State of Kuwait has developed its medical facilities but it lacks the resources to meet the rising demands of the medical and IT worlds. It is argued that the proposed pay-per-use concept can prove feasible, adaptable and globally accessible with an infrastructure that is less burdensome on the national budget. Additionally, the conceptual 'open' architecture to be used with the concept, with its integrated and independent features, is anticipated to provide ample scope for future amendments and development within an evolving technological world. Thus protecting from technologically obsolescence. The study concludes with proposed for further research work on the subject so as to enable additional evaluation and verification of results and thus fully establish the concept, prior to its Potential implementation in the national and international health care delivery system