Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: The increasing frequency of infectious disease outbreaks has exposed critical gaps in healthcare system preparedness and resilience. While digital health technologies (DHTs) are widely recognized as essential enablers of healthcare transformation, limited empirical research explains how these technologies translate into effective infectious disease management through organizational and human-centered mechanisms. There is a need to understand the socio-technical pathways that connect digital infrastructure with workforce performance and system-level preparedness.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This study adopts a socio-technical systems perspective to examine the interplay between digital health technologies, knowledge sharing, employee engagement, and infectious disease preparedness. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from 438 healthcare professionals across major healthcare institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test both direct and mediated relationships among constructs.
Findings: The findings indicate that digital health technologies significantly enhance infectious disease management (β = 0.42, p < 0.001). Knowledge sharing demonstrates a strong positive effect on management effectiveness (β = 0.31, p < 0.001). Moreover, employee engagement plays a significant mediating role, whereby DHTs indirectly improve preparedness outcomes through increased workforce engagement (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). The structural model explains 58.4% of the variance in infectious disease management, demonstrating substantial predictive power.
Conclusion & Significance: The study highlights that technological investments alone are insufficient to ensure healthcare resilience. Effective infectious disease preparedness requires integration of digital systems with knowledge-sharing practices and workforce engagement strategies. The findings provide empirical evidence supporting a socio-technical approach to healthcare resilience and offer strategic insights for policymakers and healthcare leaders, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare transformation agenda.
Biography:
Ghazi Khairallah Alanazi is a PhD Scholar in Health Management at Lincoln University College, Malaysia. His research focuses on digital health technologies, healthcare system efficiency, and infectious disease preparedness. He examines how knowledge sharing and employee engagement enhance healthcare resilience using socio-technical systems theory. He has expertise in quantitative research methodologies, particularly structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and contributes to evidence-based healthcare policy aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transformation strategy.
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