The Role of Healthcare Applications in Promoting Preventive Healthcare in Rural Areas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30953/thmt.v11.678Keywords:
eHealth literacy, mHealth, preventive healthcare, rural, Saudi Arabia, SehhatyAbstract
Background: Despite the growing use of national mHealth apps in Saudi Arabia as part of Vision 2030, rural prevention outcomes remain uncertain due to the possible lack of transfer of adoption into longer-term preventive practices, as well as usability, trust, and eHealth literacy barriers. The purpose of this report is to assess the impact of healthcare applications, particularly Sehhaty (a national health platform), in facilitating preventive healthcare in rural Saudi Arabia and to investigate the influence of usability, trust, and eHealth literacy on adoption and preventive outcomes.
Methodology: The systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Seven databases were searched, covering the dates from January 2018 through December 2024. Ten eligible studies were included after screening. These included studies comprised cross-sectional surveys, mixed-methods studies, and conceptual or model-based analyses.
Results: Access and continuity of services are enhanced with the help of apps, but preventive functions, such as behavior modification, monitoring, and personalizing, are less developed.
Technical usability problems, privacy, and poor eHealth literacy undermine engagement and preventive action, as rural preventive outcomes such as screening uptake, lifestyle modification, and health monitoring behaviors are inferred from engagement and functionality indicators as opposed to measured behavioral outcomes in most of the included studies.
Conclusion: There is support for increasing transparency of privacy and rural eHealth literacy. Synthesis of current evidence on the contribution of Sehhaty and related healthcare applications to preventive healthcare engagement in Saudi Arabia was observed, highlighting the roles of usability, trust, and eHealth literacy in shaping their potential preventive value.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Masad Saad Almutairi, MSc, Nik Hanifa Binti Nik Ahmad, DPhil, Shuaila Binti Mat Sharani, PhD, Muneef Almokhlef Alshammari, PhD
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