Evaluation of Information Technology at NGOs Working In Healthcare from the Perspective of Social Work An applied study on healthcare-oriented NGOs in Riyadh.

The aim of the study is to identify the importance of the role of permanent evaluation of the uses and reality of Information Technology (IT) at Civil Society Associations working in healthcare from the perspective of social work and social workers. The study sample consists of 153 social workers, The study came to the conclusion that there is an average level of IT in healthcare associations from the perspective of social work at the health associations under study, as there is a comparison among associations for some technology elements such as the availability of a high-speed internet line, and the use of social networking applications in contacting customers, The findings showed also that there is a rising role for IT in supporting the work of social workers at these associations, and that this role is evident in the use of the databases available to the associations’ clients in case studies, and the use of the e-registration and retrieval process for case studies and the use of the e-archive of previous cases. Moreover, the findings showed that there are problems and obstacles facing the specialist dealing with IT in health associations with a moderate degree, but the most important of these problems is the technical support is too poor to treat problems that result during the use of technology, and customers' fear of online insecurity and finding their health information available on the Internet., The study gave a set of recommendations, the most important of which is holding training courses for permanent clients of associations and specialists to use associations’ applications and online services, especially social networking sites, providing applications for the association social services, establishing partnerships with distinguished international companies in the development of IT in the field of health associations, involving the social workers in IT development plans in civil society associations to identify their needs, holding seminars and meetings to exchange experiences between health associations in the Kingdom in employing the use of IT to improve their services, and establishing a specialized department for planning to build the association capabilities in IT.