Telemedicine Implementation and Its Impact on Community Health Worker Practices in Malaria Treatment, Western Uganda: An Occupational Therapy Perspective

Malaria remains a significant public health concern in Western Uganda, with community health workers (CHWs) playing a critical role in its prevention and treatment. A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys was employed to assess CHW practices before and after implementing telemedicine. CHWs reported increased confidence in diagnosing and treating malaria, with a significant improvement in the accuracy of treatment decisions (p < 0.05). Telemedicine programmes have positively influenced CHW practices by enhancing their diagnostic skills and reducing reliance on traditional referral systems. Further training should be provided to ensure consistent use of telemedicine tools, while ongoing support is needed for equipment maintenance. Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.