The willingness to use mobile health technology among gynaecologists: A survey study

Abstract

Mobile health (mHealth) technology can play a significant role in gynaecological care. Accepting this technology depends upon the level of willingness to use by health care providers. Various studies have shown that most physicians tend to use mHealth technology, but there are still barriers to using this technology. This study was conducted to determine the level of willingness to use mHealth technology by gynaecologists. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2019 in Iran. In total, 116 gynaecologists were studied, who were selected through the convenience sampling method from two hospitals in Isfahan province. The data collection tool included a self-made questionnaire comprising two parts of demographic and specific questions. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient) with SPSS20. The level of willingness to use mobile health was considered as a score in percentage, with 0–20 as being very weak, 21–40 being weak, 41–60 being average, 61–80 being good, and above 80 being excellent. Approximately, 91.1 of participants were female and the majority (96.4) of physicians owned a smartphone. The mean age and mean years of experience of the participating physicians were 45.05 ± 6.58 and 12.45 ± 5.77 years. The mean score of willingness of gynaecologists to use mHealth technology was 1.4. There was a reverse relation between the physicians' age and years of experience with their willingness to use mobile health technology. Our results showed the level of willingness to use mobile health technology is at a good level. However, safety measures should be taken to protect the confidentiality of patients’ information during the use of this technology. Further, the mHealth technology can be an appropriate option to provide services to patients in rural regions; however, it is not a suitable alternative for in-person patient visits. © 2021