Towards Enhancing Access of HIV/AIDS Healthcare Information in Tanzania: Is a Mobile Application Platform a Way Forward?

Abstract

This survey study evaluates the peoples' acceptance and comfortability on accessing the HIV/AIDS healthcare information through visiting HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Centers (CTCs). Furthermore, the survey examines whether a mobile application platform can be the way forward towards enhancing HIV/AIDS healthcare information delivery in Tanzania. This study was conducted in Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania. The structured questionnaire-based survey was carried-out involving a total of 208 respondents, among them, 45 were the HIV/AIDS healthcare practitioners. The collected data were analyzed by using WEKA and Python computer programming software. The study findings indicated that: 24.5% of the respondents claimed that they were not comfortable going to HIV/AIDS CTCs indicating that they were afraid of being exposed and stigmatized; almost one-third (31.3%) of respondents prefer to seek HIV/AIDS related information from online sources; 78.5% of respondents preferred to have an official mobile application for access the HIV/AIDS healthcare information; 64.4% of HIV/AIDS practitioners indicated the need of having a mobile application platform for HIV/AIDS healthcare information delivery; and more than two-third of HIV/AIDS practitioners claimed to be able to serve people with HIV/AIDS healthcare information online. It is concluded that there is a need for the HIV/AIDS healthcare providers to have a mobile application platform for HIV/AIDS healthcare information delivery. The mobile application platform will consequently help people to confidentially access the HIV/AIDS healthcare information in their mobile electronic gadgets frequently without fear of being exposed as if they would frequently visit CTCs.