Willingness to Use Digital Health Tools in Patient Care Among Health Care Professionals and Students at a University Hospital in Saudi Arabia: Quantitative Cross-sectional Survey (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND The adoption rate of digital health is low in many countries; a facilitating factor for the adoption and successful implementation of digital health is the acceptance from and readiness of current and future healthcare providers. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to identify factors associated with willingness to use digital health tools in patient care among healthcare providers and students and determine whether the subgroups of healthcare providers differ in their willingness to implement and use such tools in patient care. METHODS This was a quantitative cross-sectional survey study conducted among healthcare providers and students at a University hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A non-probability convenience sampling procedure was conducted to identify the participants and data were collected using a self-completed e-questionnaire that was distributed by email. Chi-square test, t-test, and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyse the data. RESULTS We found that 83% of healthcare providers and 75% of students were willing to use digital tools in patient care, this difference, however, was not statistically significant in the multivariable analysis. In addition, willingness to use digital tools in patient care was significantly associated with prior experience of using eHealth tools on the department level (AOR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.39 – 4.64), perceived benefits (AOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.10 – 3.00), and self-efficacy (AOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.24 – 2.00). The multivariable analysis for subgroups of healthcare providers found no significant difference in willingness to use digital tools between nurses and physicians. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study should encourage hospital managers to introduce digital health approaches in hospital settings in Saudi Arabia. Since healthcare students seem more in need of developing favourable attitudes and competencies to use eHealth tools, digital health education could be introduced as part of their medical education.