Influence of motivational factors on utilisation of Internet health information resources by resident doctors in Nigeria

Abstract

Background The internet is a huge library with avalanche of information resources including healthcare information. There are numerous studies on use of electronic resources by healthcare providers including medical practitioners however, there is a dearth of information on the patterns of use of web-based health information resource by resident doctors in Nigeria. This study therefore investigates the influence of internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Methods Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of study consisted of medical doctors undergoing residency training in 13 tertiary healthcare institutions in South-West Nigeria. The tertiary healthcare institutions were Federal Medical Centres, University Teaching Hospitals and Specialist Hospitals (Neuropsychiatric and Orthopaedic). A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results The mean age of the respondents was 34 years and males were in the majority (69.0%). A total of 96.1% respondents had access to the Internet. E-mail (X̄=5.40, SD=0.91), Google (X̄=5.26, SD=1.38), Yahoo (X̄=5.15, SD=4.44) were used weekly by the respondents. Preparation for Seminar/Grand Round presentation (X̄=8.4, SD=1.92), research (X̄=7.8, SD=2.70) and communication (X̄=7.6, SD=2.60) were ranked high as purposes for use of web-based information resources. There is a strong, positive and significant relationship between internet accessibility and utilization of web-based health information resources (r=0.628, p<0.05). Internet accessibility (B=0.911) and demographic factors: gender (B=−2.027), designation (B=−0.343) educational qualification (B=2.411) significantly influence utilization of web-based health information resources of the respondents. Conclusion A great majority of the respondents have access to the Internet and used web-based health information resources more for academic purposes than patient care. Training is required to promote use of internet health information resources among resident doctors. The findings of this study will be useful to the management of the 13 healthcare institutions regarding provision of appropriate internet facilities that will enhance access and use of web-based health information resources by resident doctors.

Seeking Health Information Online: The Moderating Effects of Problematic Situations on User Intention

“…Zhang (2011) found that social networking sites' (SNS) perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have an impact on college students' user intention of SNS to access health information. Kim (2015) and Ajuwon and Popoola (2015) came to the same conclusion in research on other health information systems. And many researchers have applied the TAM to the field of health information seeking.…”

“…A summary of the literature (Khazer & Ganaie, 2014) in recent years indicates that research into information-seeking behavior mainly concentrates on two aspects of online searches: job-related information and daily information (Figure 1). And health information-seeking behavior has become an increasingly important issue in daily information-seeking behavior studies (Ajuwon & Popoola, 2015;Kim, 2015). When it comes to the process of information search, the related studies tend to focus on user information needs, the selection of information channels, and certain influencing factors of information-seeking behaviors (Zhang, Liu & Yang, 2008).…”

A Survey of Nigerian Family Physicians’ Views on the Fundamental Assumptions of Andragogy

“…This is a reflection of the fact that there were relatively more resident doctors than consultants, and the demographic characteristics mirror similar published studies with large number of residents. [7] The highest agreement was for fundamental assumption 2 "adults have accumulated a great deal of experience, which is a rich resource for learning" which had an overall 89.3% of the respondents in agreement. The least agreement (49.1%) was for fundamental assumption 4.…”

Library Internet Use and Demographic Characteristics of Undergraduates in a Nigerian University: Uncovering the Areas of Need.

“…Several studies have identified various demographic characteristics which determine internet use. Among these are Ajuwon and Popoola (2014) who stated that age is a characteristic that have been found to play a substantial role in influencing internet usage. According to the authors, youths tend to be more comfortable with using computer and the internet than adults.…”

“…(2015) indicate that male undergraduate students reported higher internet addiction than their female counterparts. Similarly, Ajuwon and Popoola (2014) assert that males are more internet savvy than females. Servidio (2014) demonstrated in his findings that males were more inclined to use the Internet than females.…”