Bogale TN, Willems H, Bongassie LA, Eyob Y, Mengesha CK, Yihun BY, Mohammed M, Wendrad N, Melkamu G, Daka DW, Meressa S, Bekele TA. Acceptability and use of the electronic community health information system and its determinants among health extension workers in Ethiopia: a retrospective cross-sectional observational study.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2023;
23:290. [PMID:
38110946 PMCID:
PMC10729516 DOI:
10.1186/s12911-023-02385-z]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The electronic community health information system has been increasingly developed and deployed to quantify and support quality health service delivery by community health workers in Ethiopia. However, the success and failure of the electronic community health information system depend on the acceptability and use by its users. This study assessed the acceptability and use of the electronic community health information system and its determinants among health extension workers in Ethiopia.
METHODS
A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 587 randomly selected health extension workers from six regions of Ethiopia. The Revised Technology Acceptance Model was used as a theoretical framework for the study. Descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling, and principal component analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. For all significance tests, multiple comparison adjustments were made using the Bonferroni Correction Method.
RESULTS
There was near universal acceptance of the electronic community health information system, ranging from 94.4 to 97.4% among health extension workers. However, actual use of the system was considerably lower, at 50%. Perceived usefulness of the electronic community health information system had a direct and positive effect on acceptability (β3 = 0.415, p < 0.001). Perceived ease of use had both direct and indirect positive effects on electronic community health information system acceptability (β2 = 0.340, p < 0.001 and β1*β3 = 0.289, p < 0.001, respectively), while acceptability had a direct and positive effect on the use of the electronic community health information system (β3 = 0.297, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the very high acceptability of the electronic community health information system among health extension workers, actual use of the system is considerably lower. Hence, an integrated and coordinated approach is required to close the acceptance-use gap.
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