Constraints and Consequences of Implementing Digital Health: Cross-National Evidence and Implications for Africa
Researcher: Yusuf Loonat, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Supervisor: Prof. Rod Alence, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Introduction: African countries lag the rest of the world in terms of adoption and implementing e-health policies. This in turn severely affects their health outcomes.
Objectives: The objectives of this paper where to explain: 1. Africa’s low level of adoption of e-health policies. 2. To what extent does Africa’s low level of adoption of e-health policies translate into inferior health outcomes in specific life expectancy.
Methods: Data of 125 countries from the World Health Organization (WHO) were used in regression analysis.
Results: Africa’s low level of adoption of e-health policies are as a result of poor economic development and lack of public expenditure in healthcare. Africa’s low level of adoption of e-health policies translate into having inferior health outcomes such as a lower life expectancy of 8 years less than countries from other continents.
Conclusion: This study has provided evidence that African countries have lagged in their adoption of e-health policies and even after taking into account their general low levels of economic development and insufficient health expenditure their adoption capacities still are low.