BACKGROUND
An increasing number of healthcare providers (HCPs) are using electronic health records (EHRs) to manage patient records, and it is important to assess HCP technological acceptance of different EHR systems in order to streamline and improve the EHR experience. Following the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the two factors that are most important in determining technological acceptance are perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the technology.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the PU and PEOU of the E-Health system in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Jordan field health centers, as well as predictors of PU and PEOU.
METHODS
This study included 84 HCPs from Jordan UNRWA health centers with various job titles, specifically recruiting from HCPs who were hired within the past five years. PU and PEOU were measured using 14-question surveys on a five-point Likert scale. Demographic information was also collected, such as job title, gender, and computer skills. To determine the overall PU and PEOU on a five-point scale, Likert scale responses were converted to numerical values with 1 meaning lowest PU or PEOU and 5 meaning highest PU or PEOU. Scored were then averaged to create a composite score. The data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Science (IBM-SPSS) version 26, and multiple regression analyses were run to determine predictors of PU and PEOU.
RESULTS
The study found that the average PU of E-Health among Jordan HCPs was 4.20 on a five-point scale, while the average PEOU was 3.82. Predictors of PU were age (P = .013), receiving training in E-Health (P = .048), and computer skills (P =.050), while predictors of PEOU were gender (P = .035), receiving training (P = .042), and computer skills (P = .029).
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the PU and PEOU of E-Health were found to be fairly high by Jordan UNRWA HCPs, but these findings also reflected the importance of quality E-Health training and computer skills training for HCPs to maximize the PU and PEOU of the E-Health system.