Exploring health informaticians' perception of the Saudi health informatics competency framework (SHICF)

Saudi Arabia has recently made significant progress in health informatics, investing in eHealth infrastructure and training health informaticians. The Saudi Health Informatics Competency Framework (SHICF), established in 2021, ensures health informaticians possess the skills and knowledge to address twenty-first-century healthcare challenges and support Saudi Vision 2030. This study explores practicing health informaticians' perceptions of the current SHICF in Saudi Arabia, aiming to suggest improvements to the framework. This qualitative descriptive cross-sectional study used semi-structured interviews, with health informaticians in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from academia, public, and private sectors. Interviews included demographics and 20 questions exploring perceptions of SHICF. Inductive thematic analysis identified themes and sub-themes reflecting participants’ views on SHICF. A total of 10 interviewees were included in the study. Most viewed the current SHICF as comprehensive but requiring clarification. They also suggested tailoring competencies to Saudi Arabian laws, technical standards, and various educational levels. Our findings highlight the need to refine the Saudi Health Informatics Competency Framework (SHICF) to a more tailored, current version that reflects recent developments in Saudi health informatics.