Journal of Health & Medical Informatics

Assessment of Professionals Literacy in Information and Communication Technology at the Administration of Food and Nutrition in Kuwait

Abstract

Buabbas Ali*,Al-Shawaf Hamza,Al-Hilal Maryam,Almajran Abdullah

With the progress of technology over the last two decades and the diffusion of informatics into the healthcare field, including nutrition, the role of the healthcare professionals that adopt the technology has changed dramatically. The success of information and communication technology (ICT) implementation in healthcare organizations has been directly linked to the knowledge of the users.
Aim: This study assesses the ICT literacy of professionals at the Administration of Food and Nutrition, which works under the umbrella of the Kuwait Ministry of Health.
Method: A survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 115 dieticians and nutritionists. Results: The response rate was 90%. The educational level of the respondent proportionally influenced their general computer use and experience. Most of the respondents (84%) were willing to use ICT for patient care and education.
Discussion: The study findings are consistent with those of previous studies that have confirmed the need for healthcare professionals that are ICT literate to use such technology to improve communication, information retrieval, and decision support.
Conclusion: ICT illiteracy is considered a deficiency that could be an obstacle to the successful implementation of EHRs. Several recommendations were developed, including recommending training courses on ICT for the dieticians and nutritionists so that they can provide better nutritional care to patients.