ABSTRACT
Telemedicine has been increasingly recognized as a valuable tool in improving healthcare access in rural areas. However, the adoption and effectiveness of telemedicine in these settings remain under-researched. The study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and willingness, facility readiness, and to identify the barriers to the use of Telemedicine among healthcare providers in Ovia North East and Oredo Local Government Areas, Edo State, Nigeria, with a view to improving visibility of the Telemedicine options and improving patient care. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 212 healthcare professionals in Primary Health Centres of Ovia North East and Oredo Local Government Areas, Edo State, Nigeria, The survey assessed their knowledge, attitudes, willingness, readiness and perceived barriers regarding Telemedicine. Statistical analysis was used to identify correlations between respondents’ characteristics and Telemedicine knowledge, attitude and readiness. Findings revealed that 91.8% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge, there was a uniform positive attitude towards Telemedicine across various socio-demographic variables, 91.5% of participants expressed their willingness to adopt Telemedicine practices but there was a lower overall readiness of the PHCs for Telemedicine. Telemedicine has the potential to significantly improve healthcare delivery in rural areas and serve as a solution to the health sector brain-drain but its widespread adoption is hindered by infrastructural challenges. Addressing these barriers could enhance the effectiveness of telemedicine initiatives and improve healthcare access for rural populations. Key Words: Telemedicine, Ovia North East, Oredo, Knowledge assessment, Attitude towards telemedicine, Barriers to telemedicine, Healthcare access, Health technology, Telehealth utilization, Rural healthcare, Telemedicine challenges, Healthcare innovation in Nigeria.
