Availability, Utilization, and Support Systems of Ehealth Resources in Nursing Practice among Nurses in Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) is transforming healthcare delivery at a fast rate. Nurses who form most of the health workforce are strategically positioned to champion the transition to digital health care. Ghana is fast adopting eHealth. However, there is little evidence on how well nurses are using these technologies. A descriptive cross-sectional study using a quantitative approach was conducted to examine the availability, utilization, and support systems of eHealth resources in the nursing profession. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed. Data collated from 206 registered nurses in Cape Coast revealed that respondents were predominantly female (61.7%), and 38.3% were males. The result suggests that good resources for eHealth service delivery were available with association wards and resources availability (χ2=19.691, P= .012). Comparatively, the A&E ward had the most resources compared to the medical ward (p=.018), OPD (p=.012), Surgical ward (p=.013), Theatre (p=.003), Children ward (p=.000), Obs/Gynae ward (p=.002), ICU (p=.042) and NICU (p=.011). Also, most nurses have received adequate training, technical support, and internet connectivity towards eHealth resources usage. The study further revealed that most facilities did not have access to eLibraries. Monitoring and evaluation were either erratic or non-existent. Though the study results showed some promise in the digitization of healthcare in Ghana, there is more to be done to bridge the gap between the health needs of the population and the technologies required to meet them.