An Empirical Research of the Challenges to E-Health Initiative in Jordan
Dr. Yaser A. Jalghoum, Dr. Sahar S. Khasawneh

Abstract
Purpose-This study aims to explore the perspectives of healthcare providers on the challenges that impede the development of e-health in Jordan based on a taxonomy of challenges that was developed from the pre-existing literature. Design/methodology/approach- Thirty Five semi structured interviews were conducted with heterogeneous individuals. It relied on the template analysis approach as well as the NVivo software to analyze and interpret the data. Findings- This study adds some unique findings that were not mentioned previously. These are; Arab Spring, Tax Evasion, Waste, Doctors Role as Managers, and Culture of Blame. These findings emerged exclusively from the Jordanian, Islamic and Arabic context that the study investigated. Practical implications- The study found that all of the discussed findings, apart from Arab spring, are directly related to human and cultural issues. These two aspects appeared to have a huge impact on the development of the e-health in Jordan and consequently e-health leaders should come up with innovative strategies and change management techniques that can help in managing or reducing the effect of these particular issues in order to ensure a smooth and successful implementation the e-health initiative. Originality/value- This is one of the very few studies which attempt to evaluate the E-Health initiative in Jordan. This study is of a significant value as it does not only confirm previous literature about challenges to e-health but it also adds some unique findings that were not previously mentioned.

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