Abstract

Abstract:

Hospital Information Systems (HIS) revolutionize healthcare by enhancing efficiency, patient care, and data-driven decision-making, yet their adoption in developing countries, particularly Indonesia, faces profound ethical and managerial challenges that exacerbate digital health disparities. In rural and small-scale hospitals, weak regulations, data privacy breaches, inadequate staff training, high implementation costs, unreliable digital infrastructure, cultural resistance, poor data quality, and weak data governance significantly impede equitable HIS integration. These barriers limit access to quality healthcare, especially in regions with stark rural-urban divides. This scoping review aims to systematically map these challenges, focusing on ethical issues, such as data security, patient privacy, and informed consent, and managerial barriers, including funding, technical skills, interoperability, clinician involvement, data utilization, and organizational unreadiness. Employing the Arksey and O’Malley framework, the study will search the Scopus database for peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025, targeting developing nations. Initial searches yielded 112 relevant documents using terms like “hospital information system,” “data privacy,” and “developing countries.” Inclusion criteria encompass studies addressing HIS adoption challenges, excluding those from developed nations. Articles will be screened through titles, abstracts, and full texts, adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, with thematic analysis to identify patterns like weak privacy regulations and cultural barriers. The review will highlight research gaps, particularly in Indonesia’s rural healthcare settings and data governance frameworks, to guide future studies. By informing Indonesian hospital policymakers, this study will foster collaborative, ethical, and sustainable HIS strategies, enhancing resilient health systems. Globally, it advances health equity by addressing digital health disparities, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and supporting Indonesia’s health system modernization through innovative policy solutions.