Willingness to Use a Mobile Application for Scheduling Consultation Appointments Among Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers in Southwestern Uganda

Abstract

Background Mobile applications are increasingly used to support healthcare delivery in Uganda. MobiCare is a mobile application developed to facilitate the scheduling of patient appointments at health facilities. This study assessed the willingness of patients/caregivers and healthcare providers to use the MobiCare application in private health facilities in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July and September 2019 in five private hospitals in Mbarara Municipality. Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 97 patients/caregivers and 32 healthcare providers. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings, and inferential analysis was conducted among healthcare providers. Results All patients/caregivers owned a smartphone and reported internet use (97/97; 100.0%), and nearly all had previously used a mobile application (96/97; 99.0%). Awareness of mobile applications linking patients to healthcare providers was low (8/97; 8.2%). Willingness to use MobiCare was high among patients/caregivers (97/97; 100.0%) and healthcare providers (31/32; 96.9%). Most patients/caregivers recommended the application for scheduling appointments for children under five years (92/97; 94.8%). Among healthcare providers, dissatisfaction with existing appointment scheduling systems was associated with willingness to use MobiCare (OR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.2-11.4; p = 0.02). Conclusion Willingness to use the MobiCare application was high among patients/caregivers and healthcare providers in private health facilities in Mbarara Municipality. Widespread smartphone ownership and internet use, together with dissatisfaction with existing appointment systems among providers, suggest favorable conditions for introducing digital appointment-scheduling tools in urban private healthcare settings. Further implementation research is needed to assess real-world uptake, usability, and impact on service delivery.