Informatics and Healthcare Technology Competency Among Nurses in a Low-Resourced Country: A Mixed-Methods Research

PURPOSE: The integration of information and communication technology in healthcare potentially improve access to healthcare services, support clinical decision-making, and enhance healthcare processes, leading to positive patient outcomes, especially in low-resource settings. The aim of this study was to identify the perceptions and characteristics of nurses regarding informatics and healthcare technology competency in the Kyrgyz Republic. METHODS: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. A total of 346 nurses and nursing managers participated in this study (focus group interviews, n = 54; survey, n = 292); nine focus group interviews and a survey were conducted to collect data on nurses' perceptions of informatics and healthcare technology competency and related issues. RESULTS: Five qualitative themes were identified: working with digital systems in comprehensive and multifaceted ways in daily practice, accessing health databases, optimizing nursing workflow and data use, redefining professional roles in a digital shift, and adapting to new systems and changing practices. Quantitatively, across 38 items assessing informatics and healthcare technology competency, perceived importance exceeded self-reported performance (overall means 1.25 vs 1.06; p < .001). In the importance-performance analysis, nurses in the Kyrgyz Republic placed informatics knowledge in the high-importance/high-performance quadrant (1.30 vs 1.14), basic computer skills in high-importance/low-performance (1.34 vs 1.09), and informatics skills in low-importance/low-performance (1.17 vs 1.04). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that nurses in the Kyrgyz Republic recognized the importance of informatics and healthcare technology competency and showed understanding aligned with the changing healthcare environment. Within low-resource settings, nurses adapted their practice by reconfiguring workflows to maintain efficiency and continuity of care; however, performance across competency domains lagged behind perceived importance. Strengthening this competency through gradual, comprehensive training and context-sensitive infrastructure development-tailored to each country and practice setting-may support the transition from basic technology use to applied informatics and ultimately contribute to improved population health outcomes in low-resource regions.