Factors Influencing Professional Nurses’ Acceptance and Use of Mobile Medical Apps in Ghana

Abstract

The use of mobile medical apps in clinical settings has recently received considerable attention. While some practitioners are using this technology to optimize decision making, others, on the other hand, are indifferent about its usage. Therefore, this study has utilized a modified UTAUT2 model to determine factors that influence the acceptance and use of mobile medical apps among professional nurses in the Ghanaian setting. A web-based data collection tool (Google Forms) was used to solicit data from 216 health professionals. Of the 216 respondents, 126 (58.33%) of them were Public Health Nurses, with 85 (39.35%) being General Nurses, and the remaining 5 (2.32%) were midwives, resulting in an average age of 31.57±4.14 years. The study used a previously validated self-administered questionnaire (UTAUT 2) to find out factors that informed respondents to adopt and use mobile medical apps. The findings established that professional qualification, gender, and the number of years that the individual had used smartphones were key determinants in accepting and using mobile medical apps. That is why this study makes the case that using technology in clinical practice has enormous advantages. It is, however, important to understand the factors that will influence the intention to adopt such technologies and their possible use.