What Will it Take to Scale-Up Teledermatology? Providers’ Perspectives in Kenya and Uganda

Clicks: 83
ID: 328658
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #11 of 245 articles by views in clinical and experimental dermatology

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 245 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Background A shortage of dermatologists in resource-limited settings often results in patients’ receiving dermatologic management from other providers, who may lack expertise. In East Africa, teledermatology (TD) has recently emerged as a potential solution to improve dermatologic care and patient outcomes. In February 2023, TD was implemented at 12 ambulatory clinics in Kenya and Uganda with variable uptake. We explored the barriers and facilitators of TD uptake among primary care providers in these clinics. Objective To elucidate user perceptions of factors affecting successful TD uptake. Methods Between August and November 2024, we conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) among providers recruited via purposive sampling. Providers included nurses, clinical officers, and physicians. FGDs were guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework, coded using an abductive approach, and analyzed using a Thematic Framework. Results We conducted six FGDs across eight clinics with 23 participants in Kenya and 10 in Uganda. We found that TD use was generally influenced by its perceived degree of integration into routine care. Facilitating this integration was the perception of TD a professional duty that created learning opportunities for providers, improved patient care, and was supported by clinic leadership and culture. Technological integration was facilitated by factors such as TD software compatibility with providers’ mobile devices. Conversely, TD was perceived as burdensome when poorly integrated into existing workflows. This included non-integration into existing electronic medical record systems, non-availability on the clinics’ computers, and the absence of automated reminders about TD feedback. Participant recommendations included providing professional incentives for TD use – such as Continuing Medical Education credit – and integrating TD into the clinics’ electronic medical record systems and devices. Conclusions Among primary care providers in Kenya and Uganda, TD use was facilitated by integration into routine care and hindered by technological and structural barriers that increased workload burden. The challenges of TD non-integration represented an “activation energy” that could be overcome by drivers of professional obligation, including perceptions of TD as a professional duty. Thus, enhancing TD use should target context-specific interventions, provider motivations, and technological infrastructures. Future studies should also assess patients’ perspectives on TD.
Reference Key
openalex_W7213457976 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Chloe I. Sales, Toby Maurer, Sonya Ahuja, Merridy Grant, Linda Chemtai, Celestine Lagat, Jane Frances Nalubega, Martha Nansereko, Marion Achieng, Elyne Rotich, Philip Odhiambo, Patrick Musinguzi, Samson Kiprono, David Felker, Sigrid Collier, Jeffrey Martin, Aggrey Semeere
Are you one of these authors? Claim your profile
Journal clinical and experimental dermatology
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/ced/llag407
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llag407
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.