Exploring primary care doctors' perceptions and experiences in adopting mHealth with patients: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE

While there is a rise in mobile health (mHealth) usage and evidence of improved patient care, its widespread acceptance and adoption are limited. User engagement is a major determinant in successful implementation of mHealth. However, there is limited understanding of doctors' challenges in adopting mHealth in their clinical practice. This study explored the perception and experiences of primary care doctors (PCDs) in adopting mHealth with their patients.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 20 primary care doctors (4 family medicine specialists, 15 family medicine trainees, and 1 medical officer) in Malaysia. PCDs were purposively sampled based on gender, ethnicity, age groups, professional position and years of experience. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The qualitative analysis was performed using a thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged from this study: (1) perceived benefits of adopting mHealth with patients, (2) doctors' approaches to facilitating mHealth use and adoption, (3) identifying credible mHealth resources, (4) selecting patients to adopt mHealth, (5) privacy concerns when delivering mHealth.

CONCLUSION

Despite positive perception of mHealth use in improving patient care, PCDs face significant challenges in adopting mHealth with patients. To address these barriers, targeted interventions should be developed to enhance PCDs' knowledge, skills, and confidence in integrating mHealth in their clinical practice. We need to find ways to provide support for PCDs in mHealth adoption, particularly in resource-limited settings.