Effect of Telediagnosis on Health Outcomes of Diabetic Patients in Nairobi County, Kenya

Wilkister Anyango Were, Peter Gutwa Oino
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology Gender and Development Studies
Kenya University, Kenya
Email: werewilkister1@gmail.com

Abstract: Diabetes has become a significant public health concern worldwide, calling for telemedicine interventions to mitigate this health problem. It is on this basis that health facilities are adopting telediagnosis intervention as an alternative to improved health outcomes. Telediagnosis is the process of using software, sensors, and communication devices to monitor, analyze, and diagnose. This study sought to examine the effect of telediagnosis on health outcomes of diabetic patients in Nairobi County, Kenya. This study was guided by self-determination theory. The study employed a descriptive design and targeted diabetic patients in Nairobi City County. Key informants recruited through purposive sampling and systematic simple random sampling was used to collect data through self-administered questionnaires and interviews. Two focus group discussions were conducted. Statistical analysis was done by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.1 and by generating descriptive analyses. For the qualitative data, the researchers used recurring patterns to form topics. One of the major findings revealed that the majority, (43.9%) of the respondents indicated that telediagnosis was very good. This means mobile device connectivity for telediagnosis in Nairobi was reliable and should be encouraged for purposes of Mobile health services (mhealth) services, thus saving on time and resources that would have otherwise been used in making physical visits to healthcare facilities. The study recommends that the government partner with facilities and other stakeholders to create awareness of the availability of telehealth services.