ABSTRACT
In practically every developing country, the Internet and wireless telephones are becoming commonplace in the communication and information environment (Digital opportunity Initiative, 2001). Radio and television have become increasingly popular in the last two decades and have played an important role in reproductive health. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming the next big thing in the world of innovation. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and short Message Service (SMS) are among the features (WAJU, 2003).
People in otherwise information-deficient environments have access to an unrivaled resource and window on the world through the Internet. It enables health organizations and governments to update information more quickly for surveillance, and it facilitates contact between health experts and consumers (SCIPICH, 1999).
Gustafon et al (1999) found that interactive websites that give personalized Reproductive Health Information and other services can help clients manage diseases, seek health care, and change their behavior.
In what ways have Nigerian reproductive health professionals embraced information and communication technology? In 2001 and 2003, the American Nurses Association ANA stated that information communication technology, which has had a significant impact on reproductive health in developing nations, has lagged Nigerian counterparts behind.
More specifically, Sayki (2003) supported information communication technology as a panacea for reducing the enormous financial cost of training and retraining trainers among reproductive health professionals (for example, in life saving skills (LSS)) as well as maintaining the professional network.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The emergence of Information Communication Technology is one of the most visible difficulties in health communication in the twenty-first century (ICT). The world is undergoing a revolution in communication (Jackson and Duffy, 1998). In what is gradually becoming a global electronic Communication village, publications, radio, and television are now reaching billions of people all over the world. Suddenly, millions of households in underdeveloped countries have unfettered access to radio, television, and the global mobile telecommunications infrastructure (GSM). Databases are now accessible over the Internet or on CD-ROM, and they have the potential to replace libraries, go where no libraries have ever gone, and change practically every element of healthcare delivery.
According to Akinumiju and Fabumni (1997), today’s access to information has transformed the way people communicate, allowing for direct connections between organizations and individuals on a scale never previously feasible. For example, Piotrow et al (1997) reported that doctors in China, perplexed by a dying woman’s sickness, placed her clinical manifestations on the Internet, launching a global search for an acceptable diagnosis. A doctor from the United States sent the proper diagnosis the same day, and eighty additional doctors confirmed it.
What impact has the digital divide had on the reproductive health sector? According to Piotrow et al. (1997), access to electronic information is not equitable, and the information divide between the rich and the poor has worsened.
As a result, because individuals who need reproductive health services the most (especially in rural regions) may have the least access, reproductive health professionals must act as their champion to ensure that services are delivered efficiently.
Furthermore, many reproductive health programs rely on correct information being presented to the public and practitioners in a way that is both practical and memorable enough to be remembered when needed. Pobjola (1992) stated that information and communication technology (ICT) can help practitioners have better access to clinical information and improve the quality of clinical processes. It’s a useful tool for providers to improve their expertise, make quick referrals, and consult, as well as a data library for reproductive health. Connecting fragmented or decentralized health systems, like in Nigeria and in particular Akwa Ibom State, is cost effective and can enhance reproductive health outcomes dramatically (DOl, 2001). The ability to communicate quickly and directly via cell phone, email, the Internet, and other means has improved supply and referral systems (especially in emergencies), improved epidemiological monitoring systems, and reduced isolation, in addition to providing efficiency, saving time for both providers and clients, and improving access to reliable information and opportunities for Nigerian reproductive health professionals.
Under the right circumstances, ICTs can make a significant contribution to reproductive health, according to growing research. In Nigeria, hospitals are progressively becoming ICT-driven and employing some level of ICT in their operations. Clients are asking for and expecting more from clinicians as they have more access to knowledge and new views about reproductive health.
Providers’ ability to meet these problems is determined by their level of electronic readiness. What amount of ICT awareness and use do reproductive health professionals have? What are these professionals’ information-seeking characteristics?
As a result, the goal of this study is to find out how ICT is used by reproductive health professionals at the General Hospital in Ikot Ekpene.
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