Reception, appointments and registration
Booking by phone, web or app, check-in, queues and reminders. A booking app or an Arabic booking chatbot can sit on top.
SectorHealthcare
Hospital and clinic management system (HIS), built around your facility
This page is about software, not about studying hospital management. O AI, a Saudi software company in Al Khobar, builds hospital and clinic management systems to each facility's own requirements: appointments, medical records, billing and insurance, pharmacy and lab in one system, in Arabic and English, with the NPHIES and e-invoicing links planned from the first phase.
Last updated 29 October 2026
In short
What is a hospital information system (HIS)?
A hospital information system (HIS) is the software that connects a facility's medical, administrative and financial work: who the patient is, what the doctor ordered, what the pharmacy dispensed and what is billed to whom. A hospital management system (HMS) usually means the same scope seen from operations, and the electronic medical record (EMR) is the clinical file inside it.
A clinic, a dental clinic, a lab or a radiology centre needs fewer modules than a hospital, but the same backbone: one patient file, one schedule and one billing record, so nothing is typed twice.
| Term | What it covers | Who uses it most |
|---|---|---|
| HIS (hospital information system) | The whole system: patients, clinical work, departments, billing and reports | Management, IT and every department |
| HMS (hospital management system) | Much the same scope, described from operations: beds, staff, stock and finance | Operations and finance |
| EMR / EHR (electronic medical record) | The patient's clinical file: history, diagnoses, orders, results and notes | Doctors and nurses |
| LIS and RIS / PACS | Lab results; radiology orders, and images stored in the DICOM format | Lab and radiology |
What we build
Modules of a hospital and clinic management system
We build the modules your facility needs, in the order it needs them. A typical scope draws on these:
Electronic medical record and orders
The patient file with history, diagnoses, prescriptions and doctor's orders, nursing notes, and access set by role.
Outpatients, inpatients and emergency
Clinic schedules, admissions, bed management, transfers between departments and discharge summaries.
Laboratory, radiology and PACS
Lab orders and results (LIS), radiology orders (RIS) and a link to a PACS image archive through DICOM, with lab devices over HL7 where they support it.
Pharmacy and medical stock
Dispensing against the doctor's order, stock levels, expiry dates and purchase requests.
Billing and insurance
Price lists, cash and insured patients, eligibility checks, prior authorisations, claims and the follow-up of rejected claims.
HR, rosters and accounting
Staff files, shifts and on-call rosters, and the link to the accounting system or ERP you already use.
Reports and dashboards
Bed occupancy, waiting times, revenue by department and claim status on one screen.
Digitising paper files
Old paper records scanned and read with Arabic OCR, so a patient's history is searchable in the new file.
Saudi platforms
Saudi health platforms we plan for from day one
A Saudi facility's system has to work with national platforms. We map each one in the scope phase and confirm the path with its operator. None of these is a link O AI already holds.
NPHIES
The national platform for health-insurance transactions, run under the Council of Health Insurance with the National Health Information Center. It handles eligibility checks, prior authorisations and claims. A system that connects directly must pass NPHIES's vendor accreditation: a Saudi head office and commercial registration, HL7 FHIR, NPHIES Academy training and system testing. The other path is to send claims through an already-accredited solution.
Official site: nphies.saWasfaty
The national e-prescription service. NPHIES's published roadmap lists a link with the national prescription as in development, so the path is confirmed with the operator for each facility.
Official site: wasfaty.saSeha
The platform approved by the Ministry of Health that facilities use for sick leave, medical reports and certificates, and referrals between facilities. We decide with you which tasks stay in the Seha portal and which need a link.
Official site: seha.saZATCA e-invoicing (Fatoora)
Invoices to patients and insurers follow the e-invoicing rules of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. We plan the system's invoices against them from the start.
Official site: zatca.gov.saMedical coding (ICD-10-AM, ACHI) and the Saudi Billing System (SBS) versions are confirmed with the Council of Health Insurance at the start of each project, because they change. Platform facts from nphies.sa, wasfaty.sa and seha.sa, as of October 2026.
In practice
Patient data: hosting, access and audit logs
Patient files are among the most sensitive data an organisation holds, so the system is designed around who may see what.
Hosting inside the Kingdom
We can host the system inside the Kingdom when the project needs it, on Saudi-based cloud infrastructure, or on the facility's own servers.
Access by role
A receptionist, a nurse, a doctor and an accountant each see only what their role allows.
Audit log and backups
Each view and change of a patient file is logged, and backups are planned and tested before go-live.
Ready-made or custom
Ready-made HMS or a custom system?
Free and trial versions of ready-made hospital software exist, and for a single clinic with standard workflows they are often enough. A custom system is worth it when the right-hand column describes your facility.
| Ready-made HMS | Custom system for your facility | |
|---|---|---|
| Fits when | One clinic or a small facility with standard workflows | Several branches, special workflows, or departments a product does not cover |
| Integrations | What the vendor already supports | Planned around your ERP, your devices and the platforms you use |
| Arabic | Depends on the product | Arabic-first screens and patient app, with English alongside |
| Code and data | Stay with the vendor | Ownership agreed in the contract |
How we work
How we build a hospital system with you
A hospital system is built in phases, and each phase is tested by the people who will use it.
Scope and requirements session
We meet management, doctors, nurses and finance, and write down how the facility works today and what must change first.
Process and integration map
We draw the patient journey and every link: NPHIES, Seha, Wasfaty, ZATCA, lab devices and PACS.
A first module
We start with one module, often appointments and reception, so your team uses something real early.
Build in phases and test
Each phase adds modules, tested with your staff on realistic data before go-live.
Launch, training and support
We migrate your data, train each department and support the system under a plan agreed with you.
The cost depends on the scope: the number of modules, branches and users, the integrations, hosting and support. We quote it in writing after a free consultation.
Our own products
What we have built: Rushd as proof
Rushd by O AI is law-firm software our in-house team built and runs: one account on the web, iPhone and Android, in Arabic and English.
It already handles what most sector systems need: role-based permissions, an audit log of who did what (on the Premium plan), documents, tasks and notifications, and AI drafting in Arabic and English.
A hospital system rests on the same foundations: who may open a patient file, appointments and orders in place of court sessions and tasks, and medical records in place of case documents.
We say it plainly: O AI has not yet delivered a healthcare project, and Rushd is a legal practice-management system, not a healthcare product.
Questions
Common questions
What is a hospital management system (HIS)?
A hospital management system, or hospital information system (HIS), is software that joins a facility's patient file, appointments, clinical orders, pharmacy, lab, billing and insurance in one place, so each department works from the same record.
Which systems do hospitals usually use?
Most hospitals run an HIS with an electronic medical record, a lab system (LIS), a radiology system with a PACS archive, a pharmacy and stock module, insurance and revenue tools, and an ERP for HR and accounting. A custom build can join them or replace some of them.
Is your system accredited by NPHIES?
No. O AI is not on NPHIES's list of accredited system vendors. A direct link needs NPHIES's vendor accreditation: a Saudi head office and commercial registration, HL7 FHIR, NPHIES Academy training and system testing. We plan that path with your facility, or send claims through an already-accredited solution.
Does the system support e-invoicing?
We build the facility's invoices to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority's e-invoicing requirements, and confirm the tax treatment of each service with your tax adviser.
Where is patient data hosted?
We can host it inside the Kingdom when the project needs it, on Saudi-based cloud infrastructure, or on your own servers. The choice is made in the scope phase, with access by role and an audit log either way.
How much does it cost to build a hospital management system?
It depends on the scope: modules, branches, users, integrations, data migration, hosting and support. We send a written quote after a free consultation.
How long does it take to build the system, and can we start with one clinic or one department?
The time depends on the scope. You can start with one clinic, or with appointments and reception, and add modules in phases.
Have you worked with healthcare facilities before?
Not yet. We take projects from hospitals, medical complexes and clinics across the Kingdom and build to each facility's requirements. Our proof is Rushd, a live system we built and run.
Who owns the source code and the data?
Ownership of the source code and of the hosting accounts is agreed in the contract before the build starts. We put it in writing so both sides know what is handed over at the end. Your data is yours.
Guides
Read more on our blog
Custom software development in Saudi Arabia: ready-made or built for you, and what drives the cost
When to buy, connect or build: a guide to custom software development in Saudi Arabia and beyond, with the cost drivers and the one page to bring to a first meeting.
ERP software in Saudi Arabia: a buyer's guide (ZATCA, data residency, Arabic)
A buyer's guide to ERP software in Saudi Arabia: what ZATCA's Phase 2 e-invoicing and VAT record rules mean for an ERP, where three vendors host data, how to test Arabic and what licences really cost, with a decision table and a checklist.
Management information system (MIS): a guide for Saudi businesses
A management information system turns daily transactions into reports managers act on. This guide covers MIS components and types, how an MIS differs from ERP and BI, the ZATCA e-invoicing and PDPL points for Saudi companies, a worked monthly report and seven steps to improve yours.
How to choose ZATCA-compliant accounting software in Saudi Arabia: a checklist
What ZATCA-compliant accounting software must do in 2026: Phase 1 and Phase 2 rules, how to tell your wave, what ZATCA's solution provider list does and does not mean, a decision table by type of business, a 13-point checklist and a 30-minute demo test.
Data residency in Saudi Arabia: what the PDPL asks when your cloud and AI tools run abroad
The PDPL lets personal data leave Saudi Arabia for listed purposes, with only the data needed and an adequate destination or an SDAIA safeguard. A practical guide to data residency in Saudi Arabia for Saudi and foreign companies whose cloud and AI tools handle Saudi residents' data.
Tell us about your facility, and we will scope the system with you
The facility type, its branches, your current system and the integrations you need are enough to start.
We reply within one business day.