Perceptions and Satisfaction of E-Health Applications: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study in a Rural Health Center at Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

Abstract

Introduction E-health, defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies for health services, has become integral in enhancing healthcare delivery and accessibility. This study focuses on user satisfaction and perceptions of e-health applications in rural health centers, with special focus on Tamil Nadu, India. E-health technologies have proven to be effective in addressing challenges to healthcare accessibilityand improving patient outcomes, at reduced costs. Despite these benefits, there is a need to understand user experiences in rural settings to optimize the implementation of e-health solutions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 383 patients registered in a non-communicable disease(NCD) clinic and specialty clinic in the rural health center of a tertiary care hospital in Tiruvallur district. Participants were selected using a consecutive sampling method from the NCD and specialty clinic registers. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on their perception and satisfaction with e-health applications. Data was entered in (Microsoft) MS Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States) and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results The overall mean age was 49.45 ± 7 years. Among the study participants, females constituted 57.3% compared to males who constituted 42.7%. 58.3% of the participants had comorbid conditions. More than half of the study participants were educated up to the high school level. According to BG Prasad's classification, 86.9 % of the participants belonged tomiddle class and below. Among the study participants, more than half of them use their smartphones as devices for internet access to use e-health applications. The study participants who had no co-morbid conditions were 3.3 times the odds of having poor perception and satisfaction when compared to the other categories (OR = 3.3, CI = 2.1 - 5.1) in using e-health applications, and this difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.01). Conclusion This study's findings reveal that gender, socio-economic status, occupation, and the presence of comorbid illnesses play significant roles in shaping users' perceptions and satisfaction levels. This study's findings underscore the importance of tailored e-health interventions to address these barriers and enhance healthcare delivery in rural areas.