scholarly journals eHealth adoption and use among healthcare professionals in a tertiary hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Qmethodology study

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Awwal Ladan ◽  
Heather Wharrad ◽  
Richard Windle
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Study Participants

Background The aim of the study was to explore the viewpoints of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on the adoption and use of eHealth in clinical practice in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) including eHealth provide HCPs the opportunity to provide quality healthcare to their patients while also improving their own clinical practices. Despite this, previous research has identified these technologies have their associated challenges when adopting them for clinical practice. But more research is needed to identify how these eHealth resources influence clinical practice. In addition, there is still little information about adoption and use of these technologies by HCPs inclinical practice in Sub-Saharan Africa. Method An exploratory descriptive design was adopted for this study. Thirty-six (36) HCPs (18 nurses and 18 physicians) working in the clinical area in a tertiary health institution in SSA participated in this study. Using Qmethodology, study participants rank-ordered forty-six statementsin relation to their adoption and use of eHealth within their clinical practice.This was analysed using by-person factor analysis and complemented with audio-taped interviews. Results The analysis yielded four factors i.e., distinct viewpoints the HCPs hold about adoption and use of eHealth within their clinical practice. These factors include: “Patient-focused eHealth advocates” who use the eHealth because they are motivated by patients and their families preferences; “Task-focused eHealth advocates” use eHealth because it helps them complete clinical tasks; “Traditionalistic-pragmatists” recognise contributions eHealth makes in clinical practice but separate from their routine clinical activities; and the “Tech-focused eHealth advocates” who use the eHealth because they are motivated by the technology itself. Conclusion The study shows the equivocal viewpoints that HCPs have about eHealth within their clinical practice. This, in addition to adding to existing literature, will help policymakers/decision makers to consider HCPs views about these technologies prior to implementing an eHealth resource.

scholarly journals Strengthening eHealth Systems to Support Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adebowale Ojo ◽  
Herman Tolentino ◽  
Steven Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Universal Health Coverage ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Universal Health

The aim of universal health coverage (UHC) is to ensure that all individuals in a country have access to quality healthcare services and do not suffer financial hardship in using these services. However, progress toward attaining UHC has been slow, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The use of information and communication technologies for healthcare, known as eHealth, can facilitate access to quality healthcare at minimal cost. eHealth systems also provide the information needed to monitor progress toward UHC. However, in most countries, eHealth systems are sometimes non-functional and do not serve programmatic purposes. Therefore, it is crucial to implement strategies to strengthen eHealth systems to support UHC. This perspective piece proposes a conceptual framework for strengthening eHealth systems to attain UHC goals and to help guide UHC and eHealth strategy development.

The Emerging Market of Sub-Saharan Africa and Technology Adoption

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice S. Etim
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Study Participants

In the United States, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and several emerging economies in Asia, mobile technologies have become ubiquitous and core to everyday lives. The same cannot be said for many countries in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The availability, affordability and use of information and communication technology (ICT) continue to pose a major challenge to the progress of this important emerging economy and their participation in a networked and “flat world.” Writers (Bishop et al., 1999; ADB, 2003; Fisher et al., 2004; Elijah & Ogunlade, 2006; Etim, 2009; Ssewanyana, 2007) argue for the use of ICT to enable the SSA population in the area of economic and personal development. This paper examines the emerging economy of SSA adoption of mobile technologies in comparison to the U.S.A and reports a study on the features that SSA students desire in mobile phones. The key finding was that study participants desired Internet access via mobile phones.

Improving Electronic Information Literacy in West African Higher Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 2121-2129
Author(s):  
Ibrahima Poda ◽  
William F. Brescia
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Electronic Information ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Knowledge Based Economy ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

Electronic information literacy has gained increased importance with the advent of the new information and communication technologies which, driven by the convergence of computers and telecommunications media, are crucial for facilitating, supporting, and enhancing learning and for the knowledge-based economy of the future. In “Africa’s Information Society Initiative (AISI): An Action Framework to Build Africa’s Information and Communication Infrastructure,” African ICT experts appointed by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), have described the potential of the Internet to improve learning in higher education and established the foundation for this to become a reality in Sub-Saharan Africa. The AISI document that the group of experts produced was adopted by the ECA Conference of Ministers as the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) in 1996.

Women in Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

2011 ◽  
pp. 1279-1285
Author(s):  
Vashti Galpin
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Women ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Women In Technology ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

International research has shown that in most countries, there are few women studying towards information technology (IT) careers (Galpin, 2002), and there is much research, particularly in the United States (U.S.), United Kingdom (UK) and Australia into why this is the case (Gürer & Camp, 2002). This article considers the situation in sub-Saharan Africa and focuses on women’s involvement in the generation and creation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan Africa, as opposed to ICT use in sub-Saharan Africa, which is considered elsewhere in this volume. There are a number of aspects to the generation and creation of ICTs: how women are involved in this process as IT professionals and how they are educated for these careers, as well how technology can be used appropriately within the specific conditions of sub-Saharan Africa. ICTs will be considered in the broadest sense of the word, covering all electronic technologies, from computers and networking to radio and television. Women’s participation is important: The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Gender Caucus (www.genderwsis.org) has identified women’s involvement in the design and development of technology as well as technology management policy, as key principles for the information society. Marcelle (2001) emphasizes the necessity for African women to become involved in technological and scientific areas, including “computer science, software engineering, network design, network management and related disciplines” (Marcelle, 2001, para. 15) to create an information society appropriate for African women. The diversity of those involved in design leads to higher-quality and more appropriate technological solutions (Borg, 2002; Lazowska, 2002). Background Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of 641 million, young (almost half under 15) and rural (35% urban). Significant problems are undernourishment, poverty and HIV/AIDS (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2004). All the countries in sub-Saharan Africa are classified as developing countries. Some countries are relatively wealthy, such as Mauritius, South Africa, and Nigeria, but have large wealth disparities within their populations. Women in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to focus on the home, they have less access to education and health, and their contribution to family and community is not valued (Huyer, 1997).

Technological Innovations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 254-275
Author(s):  
Amadou Tandjigora
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Scientific Arguments

The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on technological innovations in general and more specifically on the use of information and communication technologies in agriculture. Emphasis was placed on two main tools, namely the telephone and the internet. The opportunities created by these two tools have been highlighted on the basis of previous studies supported by scientific arguments. Some stylized facts have also made it possible to highlight the level of these ICTs in 20 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Some countries like Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda, and, to a lesser extent, Senegal are more advanced in this process of using ICT because they are relatively more economically stable. Finally, the constraints linked to the adoption of these ICTs as well as certain public policy recommendations were formulated.

scholarly journals A pedagogic approach by contextual immersion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Ismael Billong IV ◽  
Bernabé Batchakui ◽  
René Simo Nono ◽  
Georges Kouamou
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
School Level ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
Real Life Situation ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Sub Saharan

In several training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa today, the competency-based approach to teaching (CBA) has been adopted at the secondary school level. In Cameroon, based on our experience in teaching, we have found that this approach does not suit all categories of learners, generally the youngest. With the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), learners spend most of their time on ICT’s gadgets (mobile phone, tablet, etc ...). In this paper, we propose a complement to the CBA approach through pedagogic differentiation.  This differentiation takes into account the learner's environment and adds a playful and captivating aspect to the techno-pedagogic tools to be made available to them through the gadgets they use. We call this approach contextual immersion. It starts from real life situation familiar to the learner. The tool made available to the learner, which integrates this approach, guides him/her progressively towards the solution to the problem posed and a generalization that summarizes the course that will be transmitted.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs): The potential for enhancing the dissemination of agricultural information and services to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 026666692110648
Author(s):  
Obvious Mapiye ◽  
Godswill Makombe ◽  
Annelin Molotsi ◽  
Kennedy Dzama ◽  
Cletos Mapiye
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Timely Access ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan

The transformation of smallholder farming is poised to be one of the key drivers of achieving the dual objectives of food security and poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers account for between 60–80% of the food produced in the region but face many challenges that impede their productivity. Such challenges include a lack of timely access to appropriate agricultural information and services, which results in poor decision-making, particularly in addressing challenges and responding effectively to opportunities. In that context, the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in improving accessibility to appropriate agricultural information and services presents substantial prospects for transforming the productivity and livelihoods of the farmers. Currently, the region experiences massive penetration and propagation of mobile and web-based applications. However, there is a dearth of compelling, comprehensive reviews evaluating their importance in enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers. Therefore, the current review explores the potential of enhancing agricultural information and services dissemination to smallholder farmers through ICTs and highlights gaps in their development and deployment in SSA. Five existing mobile applications used to disseminate agricultural information and services to smallholder farmers were identified, and their advantages, limitations, and opportunities were discussed. These were Esoko, iCow, Community Knowledge Workers, WeFarm and DigiFarm. The development and deployment of user-driven mobile applications that provide curated skill-sharing platforms, encourage farmers to give feedback to extension systems in real-time and promote the participation of women and youth in agriculture are recommended.

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