Factors affecting the adoption of telemedicine in Nigeria: A case of Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital Dutse Jigawa State

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to expand the effectiveness and efficiency at work is increasing every time under the dynamic digital setting. Information Technologies such as telemedicine, telehealth, mhealth and health informatics have of late been incorporated in the health sector to enable easy access to healthcare services. This study examined the factors affecting the adoption of Telemedicine in Nigeria, using Rasheed Shekoni Specialist hospital, Dutse, Jigawa State as a case study. A cross-sectional descriptive survey with a sample of one hundred and ten (110) medical professionals proportionally selected from various wards/units was adopted. The study used two instruments for data  collection, they are: interview and semi structured questionnaire. Interview was conducted to illicit information from head of each ward/unit while questionnaire was administered to the medical professionals. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21.0. The findings revealed that the hospital has inadequate ICT infrastructures and telemedicine has not attracted enough political, financial and technical support. It is recommended that Nigeria should extend its ICT diffusion and policies to match the ever developing global need for it to ensure proper adoption of telemedicine for healthcare delivery.

Key Words: telemedicine, telehealth, health informatics, healthcare delivery, Nigeria