Intention to practice telemedicine by health workers in a teaching hospital in Northcentral Nigeria, 2022

Introduction: The practice of telemedicine is generally poor in low and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, which has utilization rates below 5%, in contrast to nearly 80% reported in high-income countries. This study assessed the intention of health workers in a teaching hospital in Northcentral Nigeria to practice telemedicine. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2022 among 313 health workers in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Northcentral Nigeria, selected using a stratified sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data; it comprised 13 questions assessing knowledge, eight on the perceived benefits, seven on perceived ease of use, and one on intention to practice telemedicine. Respondents scoring ≥80% in each section were considered to have good knowledge, perception of benefits, and ease of use, respectively, while the intention to practice was defined as answering the question in the section in the affirmative. Results: A total of 313 participants were included in the study, with a response rate of 100%. One hundred and sixty-seven (53.4%) respondents had adequate knowledge, 139 (44.4%) had a good perception of the benefits, and 131 (41.9%) had a good perception of the ease of use of telemedicine. Only 126 (40.3%) respondents intended to practice telemedicine. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that pharmacists (AOR: 6.30, 95% CI: 1.65-24.14) and nurses (AOR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.25-5.43) had higher odds of intention to practice telemedicine compared to doctors. Similarly, study participants with adequate knowledge (AOR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.28-4.99), perceiving telemedicine as easy to use (AOR: 5.02, 95% CI: 2.65-9.51) and having a good perception of the benefits of telemedicine (AOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.47-4.72) had significantly higher odds of intention to practice telemedicine. Conclusion: The intention to practice telemedicine was low and was influenced by knowledge, perception, and cadre. This suggests that improving knowledge and perception could improve the intention to practice telemedicine.