Mohamed Nazar, Nor Ilyani and Ab Rahman, Norny Syafinaz and Alias, Nor Elina and Zaini, Syahrir and Tengku Mohd. Kamil, Tengku Karmila and Jamani, Nurjasmine Aida and Elnaem, Mohamed Hassan (2025) Impak Sihat: a telehealth system development and feasibility evaluation to empower rural population in Malaysia on the quality use of medicines. PLOS Digital Health, 4 (8). pp. 1-16. E-ISSN 2767-3170
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Abstract
The escalating global burden of chronic diseases necessitates innovative approaches to enhance medication adherence and quality use of medicines (QUM), particularly in underserved rural populations. This study developed and evaluated Impak Sihat, a telehealth system tailored to address systemic healthcare barriers in rural Malaysia through a three-phase mixed-methods design. Phase 1 involved qualitative interviews with 15 villagers, revealing smartphone ownership, inconsistent internet connectivity, high social media engagement, and limited critical appraisal of online health information. Phase 2 utilised these insights to create a dual-component system: a public portal with Malay-language educational materials, appointment booking, and a practitioner platform featuring secured patient data management. Phase 3 assessed feasibility via community demonstrations with 77 participants (mean age 53.4 ± 11.8 years), showing high acceptance scores (73–87%) across six domains. Key findings included strong usability (87.0 ± 16.3) and interface design (74.8 ± 23.9), though older adults scored significantly lower on interface design for learnability (ρ=−0.29,p < 0.01). The system’s offline functionality and WhatsApp integration mitigated rural connectivity constraints, yet challenges persisted in data confidentiality (lowest score:73.1 ± 26.7). Healthy participants consistently rated the system significantly higher across multiple domains (Interface Design: p = 0.003, User Experience: p = 0.018, Healthcare Delivery: p = 0.002, and Overall Satisfaction: p = 0.003). These results underscore the potential of context-specific telehealth systems to bridge urban-rural health disparities while highlighting critical implementation barriers. This work highlights the importance of engaging key stakeholders, such as healthcare providers and community leaders, to ensure system sustainability and scalability. Overall, the study demonstrates that digital health interventions, when appropriately tailored to the specific needs of rural populations, can significantly contribute to reducing healthcare disparities and promoting patient empowerment.
| Item Type: | Article (Journal) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | 5696/122659 |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Pharmacy Kulliyyah of Pharmacy > Department of Pharmacy Practice Kulliyyah of Medicine Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Family Medicine (Effective: 1st January 2011) |
| Depositing User: | Dr Nurjasmine Aida Jamani |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Aug 2025 11:57 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Aug 2025 11:58 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/122659 |
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