Abstract:
Telemedicine, an innovative strategy that employs information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver healthcare remotely, is garnering global attention for its potential to improve healthcare access, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This study used a cross-sectional research methodology to analyze healthcare workers' opinions and intentions to use telemedicine at selected hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Data were obtained using the Telemedicine Perception and Usage Intention Questionnaire (TUPIQ), which contains demographic questions and measures of familiarity, perceptions, and readiness to use telemedicine. 279 people, including nurses, physical therapists, and other allied health professionals, took the survey. Descriptive statistics and inferential approaches, were used to investigate the correlations between demographic characteristics (age, education, and experience) and telemedicine familiarity and intention to use. The study found that 54.8% of participants had "Good" knowledge, 45.2% had "Bad" knowledge, and there was a high degree of desire (90.7%) to employ a specific intervention. There were no significant relationships observed between knowledge levels and characteristics such as age, gender, or career, although willingness to utilize differed according to education level and practice context. Respondents with higher education levels, particularly those with Bachelor's and Master's degrees, showed a stronger readiness to implement the interventions. Furthermore, while knowledge levels correlated significantly with years of experience, desire to implement the intervention was comparable across experience groups. This study discovered that the majority of participants had "Good" knowledge, while almost half had "Bad" knowledge, indicating room for growth. A large majority were willing to apply a certain intervention, and this desire was constant across age, gender, and occupation. Individuals with higher education levels and those working in private hospitals, on the other hand, were more inclined to implement the intervention. The study also found a positive correlation between experience and knowledge levels, indicating that focused education and training might improve understanding and increase acceptance of the intervention in healthcare settings.
