Telehealth Initiative Among Undergraduate Medical Students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma
Keywords:
Telehealth, Telehealth barriers, Telehealth perceptionAbstract
Introduction: Telehealth has emerged as a transformative force in healthcare delivery, particularly in academic settings. This study focuses on the undergraduate medical student population of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and challenges related to Telehealth adoption. Understanding these aspects was crucial for tailoring educational interventions and addressing barriers to successful integration.
Methods: This study aimed to explore Telehealth awareness, attitudes, and challenges among undergraduate medical students. It is a descriptive cross-sectional study performed amongst the clinical students at Ambrose Alli University College of Medicine, Ekpoma. Key goals include knowledge assessment, understanding perceptions, identifying barriers to Telehealth adoption, and effective Telehealth integration.
Results: A total of 161 respondents were included. 69.6% indicating awareness of Telehealth. Positive attitudes were prevalent, with 82.0% expressing interest in training, and 83.9% advocating for Telehealth inclusion in the curriculum. However, concerns about privacy (47.2%) and the perception of Telehealth as inferior (33.5%) are notable. Challenges include access to digital devices (13.7%), connectivity issues (16.1%), and institutional support barriers (64.6%).
Conclusion: While a positive inclination towards telehealth is evident among Ambrose Alli University's medical students, targeted interventions will be necessary. These will include curriculum enhancement, infrastructure investment, awareness campaigns, and cultural adaptation are recommended. By addressing these specific concerns and enhancing education, the university can pave the way for successful Telehealth integration, ensuring that future physicians are well-equipped for evolving healthcare landscapes.
References
Doraiswamy S, Abraham A, Mamtari R, Cheema S. Use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic: Scoping review. J. Med. Internet Res. 2021; 23(7): e28057.
Bashshur RL, Shannon GW, Krupinski EA, Grigsby J, Kvedar JC. Telemedicine: A new health care delivery system. Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2016; 37: 1-9.
Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). Model Policy for the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine. Available at: https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/policies/fsmb_telemedicine_policy.pdf. Assessed 02/12/2024
Mars M, Scott RE. Telehealth in Developing Countries: Successes, Failures, and Recommendations. Journal of Global Health. 2020; 10(2): 020406.
Smith AC, Thomas E, Snoswell CL, Haydon H, Mehrotra A, Clemensen J, Caffery LJ. Telehealth for global emergencies: Implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). J. Telemed. Telecare. 2020;26(5):309-313.
World Health Organization (WHO). eHealth. Available at: https://www.who.int/ehealth/en/. Assessed 12/10/2024
Egbewande OM, Oladipo HJ, Olowolagba SA, Iyiola KH. Application of telemedicine in the provision of healthcare in Nigeria: An Insight from covid-19. J. Health Rep. Technol. 2023; 9(1): 1-5
Kunwar B, Dhungana A, Aryal B, Gaire A, Adhikari AB, Ojha R. Cross-sectional study on knowledge and attitude of telemedicine in medical students of Nepal [Internet]. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35224226/. Assessed 09/12/2023.
García-Gutiérrez FM, Pino-Zavaleta F, Romero-Robles MA, Patiño-Villena AF, Jauregui-Cornejo AS, Benites-Bullón A, et al. Self-reported perceptions and knowledge of telemedicine in medical students and professionals who enrolled in an online course in Peru. BMC Med Educ. 2023; 23(1):88. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36737732. Assessed 10/12/2024.
Egharevba JO, Oseyomon GO. Impact of tertiary educational institution on the spatial expansion of Ekpoma town, Nigeria. Urban Governance. 2024; 4: 210-221.
Assaye, B.T., Jemere, A.T. and Nigatu, A.M. (2022) ‘Knowledge and awareness of health professionals towards telemedicine services in northwest, Ethiopia’, DIGITAL. HEALTH. 2022; 8: 1-11.
Noel NB, Maryam NB, Yila E, Nkala CA, Banwat ME. Knowledge and Perception of Telemedicine among Medical Students of the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Niger Med J 2024; 64 (6):816 -824
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of the Nigerian Surgical Research Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
