The association between digital health technology utilization and health worker well-being at selected general hospitals in Uganda
1
Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A932
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Digital health technologies (DHTs) have the potential to improve hospital performance. However, their association with health worker well-being, which is the likely mechanism to hospital performance, has not been adequately explored. We hence set forth to assess the relationship between DHTs utilization and health worker wellbeing at selected general hospitals in Uganda.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted at five purposively selected general hospitals in Uganda from 29th September- 24th October 2025. The health care workers who consented had their socio-demographics taken. They were requested to rate their utilization and intensity of DHTs, their quality of life, mental health, physical health and their job satisfaction using a Likert scale (0-very bad-10 very good). Data were collected via REDCap and analyzed using Stata 17. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between DHT utilization and well-being.
RESULTS:
A total of 596 health care workers participated in the study. They were predominately female (60.9%), with a median age of 30 years (IQR 17). Their perceived mean use of DHTs was 6.5 (SD=2.3). They used electronic medical records (86.4%), Clinical decision support tools (58.3%), Telemedicine (42.4%), eLearning (45.0%), Computer-aided-diagnosis (51.8%), AI tools (30.7%), WhatsApp/Google Groups (76.6%) and Point -of-care Ultrasound (38.4%). Higher DHT utilization was significantly associated with better physical health (β = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.45; p < 0.001) and increased job satisfaction (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.32; p < 0.001). However, quality of life (β = 0.13; 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.28, p = 0.085) and mental health (β = 0.05; 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.09, p = 0.497) were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Utilization of DHTs was associated with better physical health and job satisfaction. This is likely to be a pathway to improved individual health worker performance and eventually hospital performance.
Digital health technologies (DHTs) have the potential to improve hospital performance. However, their association with health worker well-being, which is the likely mechanism to hospital performance, has not been adequately explored. We hence set forth to assess the relationship between DHTs utilization and health worker wellbeing at selected general hospitals in Uganda.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted at five purposively selected general hospitals in Uganda from 29th September- 24th October 2025. The health care workers who consented had their socio-demographics taken. They were requested to rate their utilization and intensity of DHTs, their quality of life, mental health, physical health and their job satisfaction using a Likert scale (0-very bad-10 very good). Data were collected via REDCap and analyzed using Stata 17. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations between DHT utilization and well-being.
RESULTS:
A total of 596 health care workers participated in the study. They were predominately female (60.9%), with a median age of 30 years (IQR 17). Their perceived mean use of DHTs was 6.5 (SD=2.3). They used electronic medical records (86.4%), Clinical decision support tools (58.3%), Telemedicine (42.4%), eLearning (45.0%), Computer-aided-diagnosis (51.8%), AI tools (30.7%), WhatsApp/Google Groups (76.6%) and Point -of-care Ultrasound (38.4%). Higher DHT utilization was significantly associated with better physical health (β = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.45; p < 0.001) and increased job satisfaction (β = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.32; p < 0.001). However, quality of life (β = 0.13; 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.28, p = 0.085) and mental health (β = 0.05; 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.09, p = 0.497) were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Utilization of DHTs was associated with better physical health and job satisfaction. This is likely to be a pathway to improved individual health worker performance and eventually hospital performance.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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