Willingness to use telemedicine during COVID-19 among health professionals in a low income country. (2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ahmed, Mohammedjud Hassen; Awol, Shekur Mohammed; Kanfe, Shuma Gosha; Hailegebreal, Samuel; Debele, Gebiso Roba; Dube, Geleta Nenko; Guadie, Habtamu Alganeh; Ngusie, Habtamu Setegn; Klein, Jorn
• Is Part Of: Informatics in medicine unlocked. Volume 27(2022)
• Publication Date: 2021
• Subjects: Willingness -- COVID-19 -- Healthcare providers -- Telemedicine; α Alpha -- CI Confidence Intervals -- ETB Ethiopian Birr -- HITs Health Information Technologies -- IT Information Technology -- USA United States of America -- TM Telemedicine; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; 610.285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100783
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-9148

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has prompted rapid restructuring of the health-care system in an effort to stop the spread of the pandemic. Thus, telemedicine is more preferable in order to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic when face to face meeting is forbidden, allowing provision of health service over a distance. This study aimed to assess willingness to use telemedicine and factors that will determine their extent of willingness during COIVID-19 among healthcare providers working in south west of Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was applied to assess willingness to use telemedicine among healthcare providers working at public health hospitals in south west of Ethiopia. Self-administered questionnaires were used. We have used Epi-info for data entry and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) for analysis. A structural equation modeling was performed to identify factors associated with willingness to use telemedicine at 95% confidence interval (CI). Result: In this study, less than half of respondents had high willingness to use telemedicine. Ease of use (β = 0.79, 95% CI: [0.72, 0.86], p < 0.01), attitude (β = 0.91, 95% CI: [0.87, 0.95], p < 0.01) and patient-physician relationships (β = 0.67, 95% CI: [0.54, 0.70], p < 0.01) were variables associated with willingness to use telemedicine. Anxiety towards technology (β = 0.74, 95% CI: [0.69, 0.79], p < 0.01) and patient-physician relationships (β = 0.87, 95% CI: [0.81, 0.92], p < 0.01) were determinant factors of attitude to use telemedicine. Conclusions: The overall willingness to use telemedicine during COVID-19 in this setting is 46.5%. Addressing the problem related with ease of use, attitude and patient-physician relationships will help to increase the overall willingness to use telemedicine during COVID-19. An attempt to improving patient-physician relationship, provision of technical training for ease of use and working on healthcare providers' attitude will help to improve the willingness to use telemedicine.