| dc.description.abstract | The ever-growing advancement in technology has opened up opportunities for healthcare
delivery, especially in low-resource environments where access to quality healthcare services
is limited. Telemedicine, the remote provision of medical services through telecommunication
and information technology, holds incredible potential for bridging the healthcare gap in these
underserved areas. However, the adoption of telemedicine in low-resource environments faces
unique challenges and requires a tailored approach.
This study aimed at designing a Telemedicine Adoption Model for low-resource environments.
Furthermore, the study identified factors that affect the adoption and successful implementation
of telemedicine in resource-constrained settings. The research employed a mixed-methods
approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys with healthcare providers,
administrators, and patients to gather comprehensive data.
The preliminary research findings indicate that several key factors play a pivotal role in
telemedicine adoption in low-resource environments. These factors include infrastructure
accessibility, technical capability, perceived usefulness and ease of use, social acceptance,
regulatory framework, cost-effectiveness, patient trust and satisfaction. The Telemedicine
Adoption Model developed through this study incorporates these factors into a comprehensive
framework, providing a guide for successful telemedicine implementation in low-resource
environments.
The proposed Telemedicine Adoption Model can serve as a valuable resource for
policymakers, healthcare providers, and organizations seeking to leverage telemedicine to
improve healthcare access and results in resource-constrained settings. By considering the
special challenges and opportunities of low-resource environments, the TAM offers practical
experiences and guidelines for implementing telemedicine solutions that are both effective and
sustainable. Additionally, this study contributed to the development body of information on
telemedicine adoption and highlighted the significance of context-specific approaches in
overcoming barriers to healthcare access and delivery in low-resource environments.
This study established a number of critical success factors which included: Attitude towards
change (SD=0.731, p-value=0.045), Project planning and management (SD=0.986, p
value=0.031), Commitment to Change (SD=0.233, p-value=0.027), Technology- task fit,
complexity and training (SD=0.111, p-value=0.019), Management Commitment (SD=0.867,
p-value=0.008), Management support (SD=0.568, p-value=0.022), Triability SD=0.981, p
value=0.039), Relative advantage (SD=0.998, p-value=0.044), and user satisfaction with the
system (SD=1.334, p-value=0.048).
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A model for improved adoption of Telemedicine in Low Resource Countries like Uganda was
developed. This model has factors such as Organizational Affiliations (ẋ=4.333), Management
Commitment and Support (ẋ=3.933), User involvement and triability (ẋ=3.67), telemedicine
Policies and guidelines(ẋ=4.5), Technological (ẋ=4.2), Financial(ẋ=4.4) and Human Resources
(ẋ=3.67), User acceptance of telemedicine(ẋ=4.133), Organizational structure and culture
(ẋ=3.67), Relative Advantage (ẋ=4.6), Hospital Management and staff(ẋ=3.47), IT department
of the hospital (ẋ=3.93) and NH Telemedicine Model Outcomes (ẋ=4.8). The developed model
for improved adoption of telemedicine in low-resource countries was evaluated by 15 health
informatics experts who asserted that the developed model was complete | en_US |
