Utilization Status of Electronic Information Sources (EIS) for HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment in Specialized Teaching Hospitals of Ethiopia, 2016

Abstract

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, theuse of Electronic Information Sources (EIS) in healthcare is notmerely about application of technology, but it is also a foundationto provide higher quality clinical care. This study was aimed toassess Utilization Status of EIS for HIV/AIDS Care and Treatmentin specialized teaching hospitals of Ethiopia, 2016.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A facility based cross-sectionalstudy design was used. The study populations were 352 healthcareprofessionals selected by using simple random sampling techniquefrom three randomly selected specialized teaching hospitals ofEthiopia. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected andanalyzed by fitting multivariate logistic regression model andthematically by bringing similar themes together respectively.RESULTS: This study revealed that only 33.2% of the healthprofessionals used EIS as supporting tool in their clinical practiceincluding HIV/AIDS care and treatment. The main reasons for notusing EIS were having no training 285(89.9%), followed bypreferring print resources 20(6.3 %). Furthermore, there wasstatistically significant association between use of EIS andperceived electronic information retrieval skills AOR = 3.271, CI(1.942, 4.051), perceived quality of electronic information contentretrieved AOR= 2.069, CI (1.051, 3.925) and limited access tocomputer and internet connection AOR = 5.072, CI (1.834, 5.931).CONCLUSIONS: In this study, only one-third of healthprofessionals used EIS as supporting tool in their clinical practice.Hence, hospital boards should devise strategies to improveutilization of EIS.