Integrating Environmental and Digital Health Data to Build Health System Resilience in Saudi Arabia

Background: Climate change has not spared the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in terms of their health effects around the world. There is a visible variation in weather, worsening air quality and soaring temperatures in the country. Strategic integration of environmental data with the current digital health systems would help in learning and managing such challenges effectively. This integration also helps in improving the health monitoring capability and the ability of the healthcare sector to respond faster and more effectively. Methods: To investigate this notion, we conducted a survey on 227 Saudis employed in several environmental and health-related sectors. The sample consisted of policymakers, academic researchers, environmental specialists and medical professionals. They were questioned about environmental data and digital health tools, their familiarity with them, and how they are currently used and whether they think the healthcare system is prepared to integrate on a deeper level.