Assessing the factors affecting the adoption of tele- dentistry in Kenya

Abstract

Tele-dentistry, as a modality for oral health service delivery, offers a transformative approach to patient and practitioner consultations and is gaining global recognition. In Kenya, oral healthcare is often overlooked, and a significant gap exists in access to dental care, particularly in rural and suburban areas. The application of tele-dentistry is still to be more actively implemented as there are currently less than five tele-dentistry licenses issued by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council. The aim of this study was to assess the factors affecting the uptake of tele-dentistry amongst dental practitioners in Kenya, as guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), TAM-2, and the diffusion of innovation theory. The factors studied were the perceived ease of use of tele-dentistry, perceived usefulness of tele-dentistry, social and behavioral factors, and technological factors affecting the uptake of tele-dentistry. This was a mixed-method study, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data via questionnaires with open-ended and close-ended questions. The target population was general dentists in Kenya who are practicing and registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council and were selected using simple random sampling. A sample size of 266 dentists was used. Questionnaires were sent out as Google forms via WhatsApp and E-mail. Quantitative data was analyzed with SPSS software and has been presented in graphs and tables in the form of summary statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed according to the study objectives and has been presented in a narrative synthesis. The results show that overall, the knowledge of tele-dentistry and the attitude towards it is positive, but the uptake is low. The perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of tele-dentistry is high. Regression analysis showed that Perceived Usefulness was a major factor affecting the adoption of tele-dentistry. The most significant factors affecting tele-dentistry adoption in Kenya are limited knowledge about the subject, unstable internet connectivity and bandwidth, and the absence of technical infrastructure for tele-dentistry provision. The future for tele-dentistry in Kenya appears promising, provided that upon increased accessibility to education, training, and infrastructure.

Keywords: Tele-dentistry, Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of innovation theory, oral health