Strategic Planning for a Digital Health Innovation Hub at a Saudi Academic Medical Centre: A Qualitative Case Study (Preprint)

Abstract

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Rapid digital transformation is reshaping health care worldwide. To ensure that digital technologies improve care quality and support national priorities, health systems need systematic digital health strategic planning rather than technology‑first or vendor‑driven decisions. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 calls for the localization of health innovation and digital capability. King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) is a large academic medical centre seeking to institutionalize innovation and digital health capabilities. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aimed to develop a strategic framework for a digital health innovation hub at KSUMC. The framework aligns with Vision 2030’s localization goals and draws on global digital health strategic planning guidance to support innovation, knowledge transfer and intellectual‑property (IP) commercialization. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> A qualitative case study was undertaken from April to June 2025 using semi‑structured interviews with 14 purposively sampled stakeholders from clinical, administrative and innovation roles at KSUMC. Data were coded thematically using an interpretivist approach informed by diffusion of innovation theory, the Context‑Actor‑Mechanism‑Outcome (CAMO) lens and systems thinking. Thematic findings were interpreted in light of global digital health strategic planning frameworks, including the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Digital Health Strategy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global Digital Health Strategy. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Five interrelated themes influenced digital health innovation: (1) Leadership and culture, senior leadership supported innovation but bureaucratic culture slowed experimentation; (2) Resources and operations, high clinical workload, fragmented information systems and insufficient funding constrained digital health initiatives; (3) Knowledge exchange, informal networks existed, yet there were few structured mechanisms for knowledge transfer and IP management; (4) Incentives and capacity, staff were motivated by recognition and professional development but lacked protected time and incentives to engage in digital innovation; (5) External policy environment, Vision 2030 provided momentum for digital health, but reliance on external consultants risked undermining internal capability. These themes informed a Strategic Planning Framework that emphasizes leadership‑driven culture change, cross‑sector partnerships, systematic knowledge‑transfer mechanisms, ethical IP policy, and sustainable funding. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Digital health transformation requires more than the acquisition of technology; it demands systematic strategic planning, continuous stakeholder engagement and alignment with national policy. The proposed framework for KSUMC prioritizes leadership, governance, capacity building, knowledge transfer and IP management. By integrating WHO guidance on national digital health strategies, such as multistakeholder leadership, adaptable infrastructure, and robust governance, with agile planning methods, the framework supports both periodic and continuous strategic planning. This case highlights the need for academic medical centres in emerging economies to adopt evidence‑based strategic planning to harness digital health opportunities and achieve sustainability. </sec>

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