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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

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June 29, 2026
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December 31, 2024

Copyright (c) 2024 Hissah Abdulaziz Alyahya, Hadeel Khunayfir Alrashidi, Miad Obaidallah Almutairi, Sultan Daaj Alotaibi, Mohammed Yahya Ahmed Asiri, Khaled Eid Abdul Rahman Al-Otaibi, Norah Obaid Almutairi, Faisal Tareheb Alotebe, Samer Olaythah Ahmed Alsubhi, Meshal Ayedh Alotaibi

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Weaving a Digital Tapestry: The Transformative Impact of Digital Health Technologies on Multidisciplinary Healthcare Delivery

https://doi.org/10.64483/202412729
Hissah Abdulaziz Alyahya
Third Health Cluster, Erada Complex, Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Hadeel Khunayfir Alrashidi
Erada Mental Health Complex, Riyadh, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Miad Obaidallah Almutairi
Riyadh, Second Health Cluster - Rumah General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Sultan Daaj Alotaibi
Sarorah PHC,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Yahya Ahmed Asiri
Mahayil General Hospital, Mahayil Asir, Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Khaled Eid Abdul Rahman Al-Otaibi
Dawadmi Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Norah Obaid Almutairi
Erada Complex, Third Settlement, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Faisal Tareheb Alotebe
Shubairmah Health Center, affiliated with Al-Rafai Hospital, Third Settlement, Riyadh, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Samer Olaythah Ahmed Alsubhi
Badr General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Meshal Ayedh Alotaibi
Dawadimi Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Hissah Abdulaziz Alyahya

healyahya@moh.gov.sa

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

Abstract

Background: The escalating complexity of chronic disease and an aging population necessitate a paradigm shift from siloed care to integrated, multidisciplinary team (MDT) delivery. Concurrently, the rapid proliferation of digital health technologies (DHTs) promises to reconfigure the architecture of collaboration, yet their real-world impact on the fabric of MDT communication, workflow, and patient-centered outcomes remains heterogeneously understood.


Aim: This narrative review aims to synthesize recent evidence (2015-2025) on the impact of DHTs on multidisciplinary healthcare delivery, examining how they reshape team dynamics, clinical workflows, and patient outcomes, while critically analyzing implementation barriers.


Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, focusing on empirical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published between 2015 and 2025. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize findings into three core domains: communication and coordination, clinical decision-making, and systemic implementation challenges.


Results: DHTs, including integrated electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth platforms, and AI-driven decision support systems, act as dual-edged instruments. They can fracture traditional workflow patterns through information overload and technological tribalism, or weave cohesive, data-rich collaborative networks via unified communication and shared situational awareness. The evidence reveals a critical gap between the potential for augmented collaboration and the reality of socio-technical friction, with success hinging on implementation strategy, digital literacy, and organizational culture.


Conclusion: Digital health technologies are not a panacea but a potent catalyst that amplifies pre-existing cultural and systemic strengths or flaws within MDTs. Their effective integration demands a human-centered, socio-technical approach that co-designs digital infrastructure with clinical workflows, reframing technology as a collaborative teammate rather than a transactional tool.


 

Keywords

Digital Health, Multidisciplinary Teams, Electronic Health Records, Telemedicine, Socio-technical Systems
Alyahya, H. A., Hadeel Khunayfir Alrashidi, Miad Obaidallah Almutairi, Sultan Daaj Alotaibi, Mohammed Yahya Ahmed Asiri, Khaled Eid Abdul Rahman Al-Otaibi, … Meshal Ayedh Alotaibi. (2024). Weaving a Digital Tapestry: The Transformative Impact of Digital Health Technologies on Multidisciplinary Healthcare Delivery. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 1(2), 2516–2524. https://doi.org/10.64483/202412729
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