- Case Study
User Perspectives on Online Family Planning Services: Qualitative Insights from Current and Potential Users of e-Pharmacy and Telemedicine in Lagos, Nigeria
- December 6, 2023
- 9:58 am
SECTOR
PROJECT TYPE
BEHAVIORAL THEME
Location
OVERVIEW
Qualitative Insights from Current and Potential Users of e-Pharmacy and Telemedicine in Lagos, Nigeria
With a birth rate of 5.31 live births per woman, a median birth interval of 30.9 months, and a population exceeding 200 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. This is, in part, due to poor access to modern family planning (FP) products and services across the country. Limited access to modern FP is worsened by factors on both the supply and demand sides resulting in low demand and a significant unmet need for FP services.
Digital health services, particularly e-Pharmacy and telemedicine, have the potential to improve provision and access to FP services and products by scaling up access, expanding end-user choice, and improving time and resource efficiency in FP provision in Nigeria and similar contexts. This study aimed to understand the social, cultural and behavioral barriers and enablers for driving demand for FP through digital platforms in Lagos, Nigeria.
THEMATIC AREAS
The study explored three key thematic areas to understand the factors impeding or influencing the demand for family planning (FP) through telemedicine and e-Pharmacy channels:
1. Technology uptake and experiences: Current and past use of digital services, trust in, and opinions on, information from online platforms and sources.
2. Awareness, attitudes and uptake of FP services: Knowledge of FP, past utilization of FP products and perceptions of accessing FP services via digital platforms.
3. Uptake of digital health services: Awareness/attitudes toward telemedicine and e-Pharmacies for healthcare, and beliefs affecting digital services adoption for FP.
