Determinants of the managerial staff's disposition towards e-payment platforms in public tertiary hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

James Okechukwu Abugu; Amaechi Marcellus Chukwu; Ogochukwu Kelechi Onyeso; Chiedozie James Alumona; Israel Ikechukwu Adandom; Ogo-Amaechi D Chukwu; Oluwagbohunmi A Awosoga

doi:10.1186/s12913-023-10302-3

Determinants of the managerial staff's disposition towards e-payment platforms in public tertiary hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Nov 11;23(1):1240. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10302-3.

Authors

James Okechukwu Abugu¹, Amaechi Marcellus Chukwu¹, Ogochukwu Kelechi Onyeso^{2

3}, Chiedozie James Alumona^{4

5}, Israel Ikechukwu Adandom⁶, Ogo-Amaechi D Chukwu⁷, Oluwagbohunmi A Awosoga³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria.
² Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria.
³ Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria. chiedoziejames@yahoo.com.
⁵ Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada. chiedoziejames@yahoo.com.
⁶ Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
⁷ Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Physical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Many Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for their health care, and some hospitals have started utilising e-payment systems to increase transactional efficiency. The study investigated the type and usage of e-payment platforms in public hospitals and the factors that may influence the managerial staff's disposition towards using the e-payment system.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 300 managerial staff within the four public tertiary hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria, through proportionate quota sampling. The survey obtained participants' demographic characteristics, types of e-payment platforms, managerial staff's technophobia, perception of credibility, and disposition towards e-payment. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and hierarchical linear regression.

Results: The majority of the respondents (n = 278, 92.7% completion rate) aged 43.4 ± 7.6 years were females (59.0%) with a bachelor's degree (54.7%). Their disposition (80.0%±17.9%), perceptions of the usefulness (85.7 ± 13.9%), and user-friendliness (80.5 ± 18.1%) of e-payment in the hospital were positive, credibility (72.6 ± 20.1%) and technophobia (68.0 ± 20.7%) were moderate. There was a negative correlation between technophobia and disposition toward the use of e-payment (ρ = -0.50, P < 0.001). Significant multivariate predictors of managerial disposition towards e-payment were; being a woman (β = 0.12, P = 0.033), married (β = 0.18, P = 0.003), positive perception of usefulness (β = 0.14, P = 0.025), and credibility (β = 0.15, P = 0.032).

Conclusion: Most participants had a positive disposition towards e-payment in public hospitals. However, managers with technophobia, a negative perception of e-payment usefulness, and credibility had a lesser disposition to its use. To ensure the universal implementation of e-payment in Nigerian hospitals, the service providers should make the e-payment platforms more secure and user-friendly to health services consumers and providers.

Keywords: Health expenditure; Health financing; Health services; Mobile money; Perception.

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Hospitals, Public*
Humans
Male
Nigeria
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tertiary Care Centers

Supplementary concepts

Technophobia