Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Apr 13, 2020
Date Accepted: Jan 22, 2021
SMARTPHONE MEDICAL APPLICATION USE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PHYSICIAN AT REFERRAL HOSPITALS IN AMHARA REGION NORTH ETHIOPIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY, 2019.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Information in healthcare is rapidly expanding and updating. Due to this healthcare providers have to access latest scientific evidence timely in anywhere. Smartphone medical applications are tools to access the latest and reputable scientific evidence in the discipline.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess smartphone medical application utilization and associated factors among physicians working at referral hospitals of Amhara region, Ethiopia.
Methods:
An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among physicians working at 5 referral hospitals in Amhara region, Ethiopia from February 5 to May 27, 2019. Simple random sampling was used to select 423 physicians. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data and analyzed by using SPSS version 21. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with smartphone medical application use among physicians. P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The validity of the questionnaire was determined based on the view of experts and the reliability of it obtained by calculating the value of Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.78)
Results:
In this study most 374(89.9%) of the respondents had medical application installed on their smartphones. From three hundred seventy-four respondents 264 (63.3%) of them had used medical applications during clinical practice. Most commonly used medical application by the respondents were: Up to date, Medscape, Medcalc and Doximity. According to multivariable logistic regression analysis: attitude (AOR=1.64, CI: [1.05, 2.55]), internet access(AOR=2.82,CI:[1.75,4.54]), Computer training(AOR=1.71,CI:[1.09,2.67]),perceived usefulness of application(AOR=1.64,CI: [1.05,2.54]), IT support staff(AOR=2.363,CI: [1.5-3.08]), and technical skill(AOR=2.52, CI:[1.50-4.25]) were significantly associated with smartphone medical application use.
Conclusions:
Most respondents have a smartphone medical application and used it in clinical practice. Attitude, internet access, Computer training, perceived usefulness of application, IT support staff, and technical skill are the most notable factors that are associated with smartphone medical application use by physicians.
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