Smartphones as a Multimodal Communication Tool for Interprofessional Communication among Optometrists in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose: The ascertain the preferred mode(s) of smartphone-based interprofessional communication, and their perceived effects on clinical outcomes. Method: Through a purposive sampling method, 344 Optometrists in Ghana were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Modified and validated questionnaires were used to assess the preferred mode(s) of smartphone communication and its effect on clinical outcomes. Results: The prevalence of Optometrists who use smartphones for their interprofessional communication was 95.2% and a larger percentage of the participants (41.6%) indicated that they were more likely to use all three modes of smartphone-enabled interprofessional communication (speech, images, and image annotation) simultaneously rather than just one or two. Participants who had practiced between 1-5 years were found to subscribe to smartphone-enabled interprofessional communication more [χ2 (3, N = 336) = 24.03, p = .000]. Also, participants working in private facilities were found to subscribe to smartphoneenabled interprofessional communication more [χ2 (3, N = 336) = 12.27, p = .007]. Conclusion: The outcome of this study indicated that, participants preferred using all smartphone-enabled modes of communication simultaneously and had a positive perception about how multi-modal smartphone-enabled interprofessional communication improved clinical outcomes.