Knowledge and Perceptions of Hospital Care Staff towards Medical Internet of Things and the Role of Awareness Videos: A Quasi Experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction: The healthcare industry continues to adopt and integrate smart technology into its operations. However, the adoption of the eHealth solutions has not been smooth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) due to negative beliefs about the technology, lack of awareness and motivation and resistance to change. Thus, this study was developed to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of hospital care staff towards the Medical Internet of Things and to explore the role of awareness videos in changing negative perceptions. Methods: One group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study design was incorporated, and 116 participants from Ministry of Health hospitals in Riyadh, KSA, were included. A series of four videos were developed to observe their influence on the knowledge and perceptions of mIoT. Results: The findings showed that participants had more knowledge about the individual components of mIoT (particularly wearable devices) compared to the processes or functions of mIoT. Similarly, just over half (56.0%) of the individuals think that the current systems in the hospital are enough to deliver mIoT. However, 90% think mIoT is the future of digital health. Similarly, PE, SI, BI, EE and CESE were considered facilitators and PTA and CC were considered grave barriers to mIoT adoption. The awareness videos positively influenced knowledge and perceptions of PE, EE, CESE and SI. Conclusion: The study concludes that hospital staff in Riyadh (excluding doctors) possess basic mIoT knowledge, consider various adoption factors as enablers, and awareness video can play a critical role in effectively introducing the technology to the hospital care staff.