Implementation of Internet-Based Technology in Primary Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Primary health care services in Indonesia are facing challenges in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many primary health services are limited as a result of the lockdown policy, which can prevent people who are experiencing health difficulties from seeking assistance. This study aimed to examine the implementation of internet based technology in the primary health care sector for COVID-19 prevention. An experimental two-group pretest-posttest design was used. Respondents were offered an intervention in the form of internet-based instruction in five sessions (each meeting lasting 45 minutes) over three weeks; these sessions involved talks with PowerPoint presentations and applications regarding COVID-19 prevention. The level of knowledge about COVID-19 prevention grew considerably between the pre- and post-intervention periods, from 3.02 (SD = 1.25) to 4.45 (SD = 1.31), with a p-value < 0.001, while there was no significant decline in the control group (p = 0.260). Health monitoring systems are used to examine data gathered over the course of implementing a health program for patients. The implementation of this program resulted in an increase in the knowledge and abilities of health workers regarding the use of technology. Training to boost health workers’ capacity for technology use is urgently needed and should be implemented across all facility health workers.


Keywords: internet of things, primary health care, COVID-19

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