Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank
Digital health technology (DHT) has become an important aspect of healthcare systems due to its ability to improve patient outcomes and access to patient data, thereby increasing provider efficiency. However, in areas of armed conflict such as the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT), the implemen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251365010 |
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| author | Shayan Ali Bilal Irfan Wesam Abdeljaber Elias Nasser Muaaz Wajahath Mosab Nasser Khaled J Saleh |
| author_facet | Shayan Ali Bilal Irfan Wesam Abdeljaber Elias Nasser Muaaz Wajahath Mosab Nasser Khaled J Saleh |
| author_sort | Shayan Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Digital health technology (DHT) has become an important aspect of healthcare systems due to its ability to improve patient outcomes and access to patient data, thereby increasing provider efficiency. However, in areas of armed conflict such as the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT), the implementation of sustainable DHT is difficult due to Israeli military policies, which have resulted in weakened healthcare infrastructure, intermittent electricity, and restrictions on the freedom of movement. This study investigates the impact of DHT on healthcare delivery in the oPT with an emphasis on electronic medical records (EMRs), communication methods, and logistical challenges. Our findings showcase that in the West Bank, restricted EMR access and training for visiting healthcare workers (HCWs) resulted in medical students serving as scribes, while EMR crashes caused delays in healthcare delivery. In Gaza, the devastated healthcare infrastructure has resulted in the use of paper records and cell phone photos to store patient data. Language barriers and intermittent power outages compounded the difficulty of providing care. WhatsApp was a major platform for clinician contact in both locations; however, substandard cell phone connections caused communications deficiencies. To increase DHT integration, this study suggests creating an offline EMR system, a patient database, and an enhanced communication system that utilizes satellite Wi-Fi. There are benefits to incorporating an English-to-Arabic medical terminology guide within the EMR system to aid in overcoming the language barrier. Strengthening DHT in Gaza and the West Bank is crucial for improving patient outcomes, ensuring data accessibility, and enabling future research. Collaboration between international non-governmental organizations, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and international health organizations is critical for reconstructing the healthcare infrastructure and improving health systems in Palestine. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c9ff0d6eb034228b284b6af1d132ab3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-2076 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c9ff0d6eb034228b284b6af1d132ab32025-08-22T09:04:12ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762025-08-011110.1177/20552076251365010Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West BankShayan Ali0Bilal Irfan1Wesam Abdeljaber2Elias Nasser3Muaaz Wajahath4Mosab Nasser5Khaled J Saleh6 North Texas Medical Research Institute, Rockwall, TX, USA Department of Neurology, , Ann Arbor, MI, USA Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA , East Lansing, MI, USA , Houston, TX, USA , Mount Pleasant, MI, USADigital health technology (DHT) has become an important aspect of healthcare systems due to its ability to improve patient outcomes and access to patient data, thereby increasing provider efficiency. However, in areas of armed conflict such as the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT), the implementation of sustainable DHT is difficult due to Israeli military policies, which have resulted in weakened healthcare infrastructure, intermittent electricity, and restrictions on the freedom of movement. This study investigates the impact of DHT on healthcare delivery in the oPT with an emphasis on electronic medical records (EMRs), communication methods, and logistical challenges. Our findings showcase that in the West Bank, restricted EMR access and training for visiting healthcare workers (HCWs) resulted in medical students serving as scribes, while EMR crashes caused delays in healthcare delivery. In Gaza, the devastated healthcare infrastructure has resulted in the use of paper records and cell phone photos to store patient data. Language barriers and intermittent power outages compounded the difficulty of providing care. WhatsApp was a major platform for clinician contact in both locations; however, substandard cell phone connections caused communications deficiencies. To increase DHT integration, this study suggests creating an offline EMR system, a patient database, and an enhanced communication system that utilizes satellite Wi-Fi. There are benefits to incorporating an English-to-Arabic medical terminology guide within the EMR system to aid in overcoming the language barrier. Strengthening DHT in Gaza and the West Bank is crucial for improving patient outcomes, ensuring data accessibility, and enabling future research. Collaboration between international non-governmental organizations, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and international health organizations is critical for reconstructing the healthcare infrastructure and improving health systems in Palestine.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251365010 |
| spellingShingle | Shayan Ali Bilal Irfan Wesam Abdeljaber Elias Nasser Muaaz Wajahath Mosab Nasser Khaled J Saleh Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank Digital Health |
| title | Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank |
| title_full | Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank |
| title_fullStr | Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank |
| title_short | Digital health in humanitarian crises: A case study of Gaza and the West Bank |
| title_sort | digital health in humanitarian crises a case study of gaza and the west bank |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251365010 |
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