Awareness and readiness of mental healthcare providers to implement telemental health services and associated factors at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness and readiness of mental healthcare providers to implement telemental health services and the associated factors at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted among mental health professionals working at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City from 4 May to 10 June 2022. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 413 (55.7% male and 44.3% female) health professionals participated in the study. The study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. All mental healthcare providers working at public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa City were considered as the source population. Mental healthcare providers who meet the inclusion criteria were considered the study population. Having a minimum diploma qualification and 6 months or more of work experience and giving written consent were considered the inclusion criteria. OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure was awareness and readiness to implement telemental health services. RESULT: A total of 413 participants were enrolled, with a response rate of 90.6%. The prevalence of good awareness towards telemental health services was 41% (95% CI 37%, 47%). Being female (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.34; 95% CI 0.15, 0.76), having poor information technology support (AOR=0.32; 95% CI 0.11, 0.99) and having electronic health technology experience (AOR=1.21; 95% CI 1.1, 2.44) were significantly associated with awareness of telemental health services, whereas computer access at the workplace (AOR=0.04; 95% CI 0.003, 0.55) and awareness (AOR=4.34; 95% CI 1.02, 18.48) and attitude (AOR=1.01; 95% CI 1.03, 2.19) towards telemental health services were the variables that showed statistically significant association with readiness of mental healthcare providers for telemental health services. CONCLUSION: Although majority of healthcare providers in this survey were prepared to implement telemental health services, there was typically little awareness among mental healthcare providers.