Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence and Facilitating Conditions are Factors that Influence Rural Health Workers in the Use of Wireless Access for Health and Perception of Behavior of their Pregnant Patients

Abstract

Technology has been integrated into various levels at the rural health systems by both government and non-government agencies. The study aimed to identify the factors influencing adoption of Wireless Access for Health (WAH) by rural health workers and how it influences the perception of health workers regarding the health-seeking behavior of their clients. Some selected rural health workers from 11 Philippine municipalities responded to a survey adopted from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) questionnaire. Correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance were used to test the relationships between the variables. Results showed that to establish high adoption of WAH among rural health workers, interventions must ignite appreciation among health workers as regard to the importance and relevance of the technology to their work (performance expectancy). Support from the health managers and local chief executives of the municipalities, both administrative (social influence) and logistical (facilitating conditions) are necessary for them to adopt the technology. There is also perceived increase in facilities-based deliveries and deliveries by skilled birth attendants in the municipalities after installation of WAH.