Perceived Electronic Health Record System Success and Its Associations With Healthcare Quality, Patient Safety, and Operational Efficiency in a Saudi Tertiary Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Electronic health record (EHR) systems are widely implemented to support safer, higher-quality, and more efficient care. However, evidence regarding their perceived benefits in recently digitized tertiary hospitals remains limited. This study examined the associations of perceived EHR system success with perceived healthcare quality and patient safety and perceived operational efficiency. It also assessed the independent contribution of training and technical support and whether this support modified either association. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Aseer Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia, from April 1 to 30, 2026. An expert-reviewed electronic questionnaire was administered to clinical and administrative employees using the VIDA EHR. Hierarchical linear regression models were fitted separately for perceived healthcare quality and patient safety and perceived operational efficiency, adjusting for demographic and professional characteristics. Training and technical support was examined as a main effect and through a prespecified interaction with perceived EHR system success. Results The analytic sample included 328 employees. Perceived EHR system success was positively associated with perceived healthcare quality and patient safety (B = 0.771, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.660 to 0.882; β = 0.711; p < 0.001) and perceived operational efficiency (B = 0.668, 95% CI = 0.532 to 0.804; β = 0.571; p < 0.001). The final models explained 65.6% and 55.5% of outcome variance, respectively. Training and technical support was associated with perceived operational efficiency (B = 0.214, 95% CI = 0.103 to 0.325; β = 0.199; p < 0.001), but not with perceived healthcare quality and patient safety in the primary model (p = 0.093). Neither interaction was statistically significant. Conclusions More favorable perceptions of EHR system success were associated with better perceived healthcare quality and patient safety and greater perceived operational efficiency. Training and technical support was independently associated with perceived operational efficiency but did not modify either association. Because the study was cross-sectional and used employee-reported perceptions, the findings should not be interpreted as causal effects or objective improvements in care.
Source: Cureus
Institution: King Saud University
Language: English
Subfield: Health Information Management
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220425657