Department of Public Health, Arsi University, Asella, Ethiopia
Department of Health Informatics, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
BMJ Open. 2023 Jul 31;13(7):e069671. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069671.
To assess the awareness and readiness of mental healthcare providers to implement telemental health services and the associated factors at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among mental health professionals working at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City from 4 May to 10 June 2022.
A total of 413 (55.7% male and 44.3% female) health professionals participated in the study. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. All mental healthcare providers working at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City were considered as the source population. Mental healthcare providers who meet the inclusion criteria were considered the study population. Having a minimum diploma qualification and 6 months or more of work experience and giving written consent were considered the inclusion criteria.
The main outcome measure was awareness and readiness to implement telemental health services.
A total of 413 participants were enrolled, with a response rate of 90.6%. The prevalence of good awareness towards telemental health services was 41% (95% CI 37%, 47%). Being female (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.34; 95% CI 0.15, 0.76), having poor information technology support (AOR=0.32; 95% CI 0.11, 0.99) and having electronic health technology experience (AOR=1.21; 95% CI 1.1, 2.44) were significantly associated with awareness of telemental health services, whereas computer access at the workplace (AOR=0.04; 95% CI 0.003, 0.55) and awareness (AOR=4.34; 95% CI 1.02, 18.48) and attitude (AOR=1.01; 95% CI 1.03, 2.19) towards telemental health services were the variables that showed statistically significant association with readiness of mental healthcare providers for telemental health services.
Although majority of healthcare providers in this survey were prepared to implement telemental health services, there was typically little awareness among mental healthcare providers.
评估埃塞俄比亚亚的斯亚贝巴市公立转诊医院精神卫生服务提供者实施远程心理健康服务的意识和准备情况，以及相关因素。
2022 年 5 月 4 日至 6 月 10 日，在亚的斯亚贝巴市公立转诊医院工作的精神卫生专业人员中开展了一项横断面研究。
共有 413 名（55.7%为男性，44.3%为女性）卫生专业人员参与了这项研究。采用简单随机抽样技术选择研究参与者。亚的斯亚贝巴市所有公立转诊医院的精神卫生服务提供者均被视为目标人群。符合纳入标准的精神卫生服务提供者被视为研究人群。具有最低文凭资格和 6 个月或以上工作经验并书面同意被视为纳入标准。
主要结果是对远程心理健康服务的认识和准备情况。
共纳入 413 名参与者，应答率为 90.6%。对远程心理健康服务有良好认识的比例为 41%（95%CI 37%，47%）。女性（调整后的优势比（AOR）=0.34；95%CI 0.15，0.76）、信息技术支持不佳（AOR=0.32；95%CI 0.11，0.99）和电子医疗技术经验（AOR=1.21；95%CI 1.1，2.44）与远程心理健康服务的认识显著相关，而工作场所计算机的获取（AOR=0.04；95%CI 0.003，0.55）、对远程心理健康服务的认识（AOR=4.34；95%CI 1.02，18.48）和态度（AOR=1.01；95%CI 1.03，2.19）是与精神卫生服务提供者对远程心理健康服务的准备情况显著相关的变量。
尽管这项调查中的大多数医疗保健提供者都准备实施远程心理健康服务，但精神卫生服务提供者的认识通常很少。
