ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2021
Smartphone Medical App Use and Associated Factors Among Physicians at Referral Hospitals in Amhara Region, North Ethiopia, in 2019: Cross-sectional Study.
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Utilization of Mobile Health and Its Associated Factors in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review.BioMed research international · 2026Pooled it
- Behavioral intentions toward a mobile mental health screening and support tool suite for healthcare professionals in Ethiopia.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Usage patterns, perceived barriers and perceived impact of mobile medical applications in medical education and clinical practice: a cross-sectional study among medical students and junior doctors in Sudan.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- The effect of smartphones and mobile apps in Egyptian Emergency Departments: A cross-sectional study.African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence · 2025Article
- Article
- Development, Usability, and Effect of a Hypertension Mobile Application on Knowledge and Guidelines Adherence among Family and Community Medicine Residents: A Before-and-After Educational Intervention Study.Acta medica Philippina · 2025Article
- Evaluating the Usability and Quality of a Clinical Mobile App for Assisting Physicians in Head Computed Tomography Scan Ordering: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR human factors · 2024Article
- "Following the data": perceptions of and willingness to use clinical decision support tools to inform HIV care among Haitian clinicians.Health policy and technology · 2024Article
- The use of medical health applications by primary care physicians in Israel: a cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- A WeChat applet-based national remote emergency system for malignant hyperthermia in China: a usability study.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2023Article
- Mapping Factors That Affect the Uptake of Digital Therapeutics Within Health Systems: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- Smartphone and Mobile App Use Among Physicians in Clinical Practice: Scoping Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2023Article
- Healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitude and its associated factors toward electronic personal health record system in a resource-limited setting: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Smartphone Use and Security Challenges in Hospitals: A Survey among Resident Physicians in Germany.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Designing a Novel Clinician Decision Support Tool for the Management of Acute Diarrhea in Bangladesh: Formative Qualitative Study.JMIR human factors · 2022Article
- Article
- District health information system 2 data utilization among health professionals in Amara region private hospitals, Ethiopia.Digital healthArticle
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInformation in health care is rapidly expanding and is updated very regularly, especially with the increasing use of technology in the sector. Due to this, health care providers require timely access to the latest scientific evidence anywhere. Smartphone medical apps are tools to access the latest reputable scientific evidence in the discipline. In addition, smartphone medical apps could lead to improved decision making, reduced numbers of medical errors, and improved communication between hospital medical staff.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to assess smartphone medical app use and associated factors among physicians working at referral hospitals of the Amhara region, Ethiopia.
methodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among physicians working at 5 referral hospitals in the Amhara region, Ethiopia, from February 5 to May 27, 2019. A simple random sampling method was used to select 423 physicians. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data and analyzed using SPSS, version 21 (IBM Corp). Binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with smartphone medical app use among physicians. A value of P<.05, corresponding to a 95% CI, was considered statistically significant. The validity of the questionnaire was determined based on the view of experts and the reliability of it obtained by calculating the value of Cronbach alpha (α=.78).
resultsIn this study, most of the 417 respondents (375, 89.9%) had medical apps installed on their smartphones. Of those 375 respondents, 264 (70.4%) had used medical apps during clinical practice. The medical apps most commonly used by the respondents were UpToDate, Medscape, MedCalc, and Doximity. According to multivariable logistic regression analysis, attitude (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.64, 95% CI 1.05-2.55), internet access (AOR 2.82, 95% CI 1.75-4.54), computer training (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.09-2.67), perceived usefulness of the app (AOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.05-2.54), information technology support staff (AOR 2.363, 95% CI 1.5-3.08), and technical skill (AOR 2.52, 95% CI 1.50-4.25) were significantly associated with smartphone medical app use.
conclusionsMost respondents have a smartphone medical app and have used it in clinical practice. Attitude, internet access, computer training, perceived usefulness of the app, information technology support staff, and technical skill are the most notable factors that are associated with smartphone medical app use by physicians.
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