A Modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for Implementation of Privacy in Health Information Systems in Saudi Arabia

This study developed a modified technology acceptance model (TAM) based of the actual adoption of the privacy of health information that suggested that external factors of culture and awareness of health information privacy predicted internal factors of privacy, including confidentiality, accountability, and regulations and policies. The study was concerned with the effects of culture and the nature of privacy, as well as the ways in which people's sensitive information is accessed and maintained by healthcare facilities. The study provided detail regarding the need for improved information privacy in the Saudi healthcare setting. A survey instrument was designed and used to assess the knowledge of the privacy of health information among Saudi professionals in the fields of IT, medicine, and law. The data were analyzed to determine whether or not there was any connection between participants' characteristics, especially from a religious culture perspective, and their attitudes about the privacy of health information. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to assess differences across professions for each of the outcome and predictor variables. No significant differences were found for accountability, or regulations and policies. Significant differences among professions were found for confidentiality, awareness, and culture. Post hoc analyses indicated that medical professionals reported significantly greater adherence to confidentiality than did law professionals, but they demonstrated significantly lower awareness and culture. Law professionals were also significantly higher in culture than were information technology professionals.