Exploring health care practitioners’ attitudes towards the application of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) in King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) technology is one of the most significant tools used by clinicians in healthcare settings. This tool offers a new arena for physicians and clinicians to perform rapid patient diagnosis and treatment. This particular study aimed to investigate the observations and attitudes of clinicians on the benefits and limitations of using PACS technology at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A primary qualitative strategy was selected for the study, whereby 15 healthcare workers from King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were selected who had profound knowledge of PACS application. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to understand the target users of PACS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The findings of the study showcased that the users’ acceptance of PACS technology was wide and positive. Most of the users gave positive feedback about using PACS because of the perceived ease-of-use (PEU) construct, as the technology offers a remote consultation facility and remote accessibility for users. However, some participants felt that it was challenging to use this application because of the security threats to patients’ data and the lack of training in using the new updates in the system. The results of the study helped the researcher to identify the possible areas of improvement and prepare a better strategic plan for the efficient implementation of PACS in the healthcare setting of Saudi Arabia in the near future.