Magnitude of telemedicine utilization and associated factors among health professionals working at selected public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Despite the immense potential of telemedicine, its implementation in Ethiopia and other developing nations has faced formidable challenges, leading to disappointingly low utilization rates. Therefore, this study sought to assess the magnitude and factors associated with telemedicine service practice among healthcare professionals in the pilot public hospitals of Sidama and Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Regions. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1–30, 2021 among randomly selected 407 health professionals working at Pilot Hospitals in Southern Ethiopia. A pretested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic, knowledge and attitude of Health Professionals towards telemedicine and health system-related data. Data were coded and entered using Epi-data version 4.6. and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with telemedicine utilization. A P-value<0.05 and Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) together with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to declare statistical significance. The data were presented by tables, text and figures and charts. Results The study found that 34.6% (95% CI: 30–39.6%), 54.1% (95% CI: 49.6–59.2%), and 26% (95% CI: 21.6–30.2%) of the respondents have good knowledge, a positive attitude, and practiced telemedicine service, respectively. Age ≥ 36 years (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.18–7.60), being a medical doctor (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI 1.15–13.25), having good knowledge (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.54–4.89), presence of an information sharing culture (AOR = 3.95, 95% CI 1.16–13.45), presence of a practicing platform (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI 1.06–8.53), and presence of government commitment (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.09–5.82) were found to be significantly associated with telemedicine service utilization. Conclusion Despite positive attitudes, the adoption of telemedicine among healthcare professionals in the study area remains limited. Factors such as age, profession, knowledge, and cultural factors influence its uptake. To promote wider adoption and address challenges, governments should: implement comprehensive guidelines, training programs, and platforms for healthcare professionals to effectively utilize telemedicine technologies can accelerate healthcare delivery in the study area.