The emerging ICT use patterns for health service delivery in Africa: evidence from rural and urban settings in Namibia

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed the way health services are delivered in today’s global society. For any society, however, it is important to understand how ICT are being deployed to support the delivery of health services to patients. In the case of Namibia, health service providers (HSP) in both the private and public health sectors must have the capability to use ICT as this will subsequently influence how they deliver services to their patients in the future. On the other hand, patients too, need to use relevant ICT to support and improve their access to health services. This research, therefore, examines the landscape for health service delivery (HSD) in Namibia in order to get a better understanding of the diffusion of ICT-related health services. The study provides a comparative assessment of the emerging ICT use patterns in both rural and urban areas in Namibia. Patient’s views and perceptions about ICT applications in HSD are described. Furthermore, the research highlights considerations for improving access to ICT use by patients in Namibia.