Facilitators and Barriers to Uptake of the Med Safety Mobile App for Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting by Health Workers in Uganda: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are an important public health challenge worldwide; however, pharmacovigilance systems are plagued by under-reporting. Mobile technologies, including mobile applications such as Med Safety, could strengthen ADR reporting. We explored the acceptability, and factors that could influence uptake of, Med Safety for ADR reporting by health workers in Uganda.

Methods: The study took place between July and September 2020 in 12 HIV clinics in Uganda and employed a qualitative exploratory research design. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews and 3 mixed-gender focus group discussions (49 participants) with a diverse range of health workers. We analysed the data using a thematic approach.

Results: There was goodwill among the health workers to adopt Med Safety for ADR reporting and the majority would recommend the app to other health workers. Training with practice increased acceptability of the app. Uptake of the app was favoured by the younger, technology proficient, health worker demographic; the app's offline and two-way risk communication functionalities; availability of free internet hotspots at some health facilities; goodwill and willingness of health workers to report ADRs; and the cumbersome nature of conventional ADR reporting tools. Potential barriers to the uptake of Med Safety were the perceived lengthy processes of initial app registration and completion of multiple screens during ADR reporting; challenges with health workers' smartphones (incompatibility with application, no space for more applications, low battery charge); high cost of internet data; poor internet connectivity; difficulty in recognising ADRs, language barrier and poor feedback to ADR reporters.

Conclusion: There was goodwill among the health workers to adopt Med Safety for ADR reporting and the majority would recommend the app to other health workers. Training with practice increased acceptability of the app and should be integral in all future app roll-out campaigns. The identified facilitators and barriers could be used to appropriately guide future research and implementation to promote the uptake of Med Safety for pharmacovigilance in low- and middle-income countries.