Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Jordanians Toward Adopting and Using Telemedicine: National Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background Due to the upsurge of COVID-19, nations are increasingly adopting telemedicine programs in anticipation of similar crises. Similar to all nations worldwide, Jordan is implementing efforts to adopt such technologies, yet it is far from complete. Objective This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Jordanians toward telemedicine, to identify key factors predisposing individuals to its use or acting as barriers to its implementation. Methods We implemented a cross-sectional design using an online, self-administered questionnaire executed in Google Forms and distributed through social media. Differences in knowledge and attitude scores were examined using independent sample t tests and ANOVA. A multivariate linear regression model was computed to assess predictors of awareness toward telemedicine. Results A total of 1201 participants fully completed the questionnaire. Participants were characterized by a mean age of 36.3 (SD 14.4) years and a male-to-female ratio of nearly 1:1. About 50% (619/1201, 51.5%) of our studied population were aware of telemedicine, while nearly 25% (299/1201, 24.9%) declared they had observed it in action. Approximatively 68% (814/1201, 67.8%) of respondents were willing to use telemedicine. The majority of the sample portrayed favorable and positive views toward telemedicine. Higher educational degrees, living in urban districts, and having a higher perception of electronic usage ability were associated with higher knowledge and better attitudes toward telemedicine (all P<.05). The multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that perceived ability to use electronics was associated with positive attitudes (β=0.394; 95% CI 0.224 to 0.563), while living in Southern Jordan predicted poor attitudes toward telemedicine (β=–2.896; 95% CI –4.873 to –0.919). Conclusions Jordanians portray favorable perceptions of telemedicine. Nonetheless, concerns with regards to privacy, medical errors, and capacity for accurate diagnoses are prevalent. Furthermore, Jordanians believe that integrating telemedicine within the health care system is not applicable due to limited resources.

Perception and Willingness to Use Telepharmacy Among the General Population in Jordan

“…These positive views are consistent with studies on telepharmacy 24 , 25 and telemedicine in general. 19 , 26 Likewise, aligning with other studies on telepharmacy, 27 , 28 the study showed that protecting patients during pandemics and convenience to patients living in remote areas are other vital perceived benefits in favor of telepharmacy.…”

“… 18 On the same line, Jordanians showed to have favorable perceptions towards telemedicine. 19 Nonetheless, no information is available regarding the use of telepharmacy among Jordanians. This study thus aimed to investigate the perception and willingness to use telepharmacy among the general population in Jordan as well as to investigate the socioeconomic disparities in patient use of telepharmacy.…”

Awareness, Attitude, and Perception of Telemedicine Among Trinidad and Tobago Population

“…Our findings showed that T&T population have a favourable attitude towards telemedicine as the majority are willing to try mobile based health app and are not concerned about confidentiality issues raised as a major barrier in the utilization in previous studies [35,36]. Similar findings were recorded in studies on Jordanian [30] and Chinese populations [32]. A positive attitude is essential for a new technology to be adopted and used by the population, therefore there is a need to address this barrier.…”

“…Another notable finding is the infrequent use of telemedicine recorded in the present study which is consistent with findings from other developing countries [9,29,30], despite reports of surge in the use of telemedicine recorded in some developed countries [31,32]. This trend aligns with the poor awareness observed in our study and could be linked to ineffective adoption strategies.…”

“…Furthermore, training on various telemedicine modes and techniques are highly recommended to enhance understanding of telemedicine and its associated health benefits [37,[41][42][43] which will necessitate the development of strategies and investment in continuous professional development for healthcare providers in virtual care [44]. In addition, the fact that positive perception of telemedicine is associated with the use of computer and level of computer skill is expected as those are the basic things essential for an adoption or utilization of telemedicine and are recorded in previous studies [30,35] as reasons for poor awareness and reception of telemedicine. Consequently, policies should prioritize increasing telemedicine perception to encourage the public to maximize its benefits especially in natural disasters or emergencies.…”