Exploring Health Professionals' Knowledge and Perceptions of Telehealth Implementation in Multisite Public Hospitals...

A significant gap exists among health professionals regarding telehealth due to limited knowledge and varying perceptions. This disparity is particularly pronounced in low-income regions, where numerous barriers hinder its implementation.

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception of telehealth among health professionals in public hospitals in East Wollega, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

A study was conducted with 397 health professionals in public health facilities in East Wollega Zone, selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires from March 2024 to June 2024 and entered into EpiData (version 3.1; EpiData Association) and analyzed using SPSS (version 24; IBM Corp). Descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequency distributions, were used. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test assessed variable homogeneity. Significant variables (P<.05) in bivariable logistic regression analysis were included in multivariable logistic analysis and reported as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CI.

Findings indicated high levels of knowledge and perception among participants. Factors significantly associated with knowledge included educational status (AOR 4.22, 95% CI 3.45-13.12; P=.001), income between Ethiopian Birr 7001-9000 (a currency exchange rate of Ethiopian Birr 52=US $1 during the study period; AOR 3.255, 95% CI 1.790-8.878; P=.001), access to computers (AOR 2.414, 95% CI 1.046-14.764; P=.001), consultation sessions (AOR 2.389, 95% CI 1.961-10.158; P=.001), and smartphone use (AOR 3.027, 95% CI 2.797-14.729; P=.001). For perception, significant associations included income over 9000 Birr (AOR 2.675, 95% CI 2.271-19.277; P=.001), improving quality of life (AOR 1.786, 95% CI 1.575-22.587; P=.009), increased accessibility (AOR 1.244, 95% CI 1.061-11.333; P=.04), consultation sessions (AOR 4.777, 95% CI 2.318-15.062; P=.001), and smartphone use (AOR 3.836, 95% CI 2.900-13.573; P=.001).

Approximately two-thirds of participants demonstrated good knowledge and perception of telehealth. It is highly recommended to create awareness through educational programs for individuals with lower educational backgrounds and to improve access to technological devices.