Factors Influencing ICT Usage in the Healthcare Management System at Government Hospitals in Tanzania: A Case of Kilwa Road Police Hospital

This study assesses the factors influencing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage in healthcare management systems at government hospitals in Tanzania, with a specific focus on Kilwa Road Police Hospital. The study aims to: examine the extent to which ICT infrastructure availability influences ICT usage in healthcare management systems; determine the influence of staff awareness on ICT usage at Kilwa Road Police Hospital; and investigate the influence of management support on ICT usage in healthcare management systems at the hospital. The study was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and employed a descriptive research design. Systematic sampling was used to select 162 respondents from a target population of 272 staff members. Data was collected through questionnaires and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages, while inferential statistics utilized multiple regression analysis. The findings reveal that the availability of necessary hardware and software is significantly and positively related to the effective utilization of ICT in healthcare management systems at Kilwa Road Police Hospital. Additionally, the level of staff awareness was identified as a crucial factor influencing ICT usage. The relationship between hardware and software availability and ICT utilization was statistically significant (p < 0.05), highlighting its importance in enhancing healthcare management systems. Furthermore, management support was found to play a significant role in ICT usage for healthcare management at Kilwa Road Police Hospital. The study concludes that ICT infrastructure, staff awareness, and management support are critical factors influencing ICT usage in healthcare management systems at Kilwa Road Police Hospital. It recommends that the hospital's management ensure the continuous availability of ICT infrastructure to sustain effective healthcare management systems.