Socio-demographic Differentials in the Knowledge of E-Health Care Delivery among Health Care Professionals in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Background: The emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in developing countries including Nigeria underscores the need for electronic health (e-Health) to improve health care delivery. This study thus determined the knowledge and socio-demographic differentials in the knowledge of e-Health care delivery among health care professionals in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakalik (FETHA) Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Methods: The descriptive research design and a self-developed questionnaire was used for the study. Three objectives with three research questions and two null –hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. Out of a population of 2092 health workers in FETHA, 209 representing 10% were drawn through a multistage sampling technique and were studied. Frequency and percentage were used to answer research question one, while mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions two and three. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in testing null hypotheses one while Mann-Whitney U test was used in testing hypotheses two at .05 level of significance.

Results: The overall mean percentage of respondents was 85.6% which indicates that health care professionals in FETHA possessed a good knowledge of e-Health care delivery. The findings further indicated that health care professional in FETHA differed in their level of education with diploma and below possessing higher knowledge of e-Health care delivery (x̅=1.23) than those with B.Sc. and above (x̅=1.14). Also differed by their age (P>0.05), and level of education (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Nigerian government at all levels, through their various Ministries of Health should organize intensive ICT training and retraining of their employees, especially those with B.Sc and above.