Evaluation of Telemedicine Readiness at Primary Health Care Centres in Adamawa State

Telemedicine offers a pathway for extending specialist clinical services to rural primary health care centres in the underserved northeastern zone of Nigeria, and an assessment of technological and infrastructural readiness at primary health care centres in Adamawa State is a necessary precursor to programme planning. This study evaluates telemedicine readiness across twelve primary health care centres in Yola North, Girei, and Numan LGAs of Adamawa State using an adapted telemedicine readiness assessment framework covering telecommunications infrastructure, electricity supply reliability, computer and tablet device availability, internet connectivity quality, human resource capacity for telemedicine use, and patient privacy infrastructure. Data were collected through direct facility assessment visits and structured interviews with health facility officers in charge. Connectivity testing measured available internet bandwidth and reliability at each facility. Findings show that reliable electricity supply was present at only five of twelve facilities, with the remainder dependent on intermittent grid supply or absent power. Internet connectivity of any form was available at eight facilities, with average measured download speeds of 1.2 Mbps, below the 2 Mbps minimum recommended for video consultation. Computer or tablet devices were present at seven facilities but only three had functioning devices. No facility had a dedicated telemedicine consultation space ensuring patient privacy. Health facility staff reported no prior telemedicine training at eleven of twelve facilities. The study concludes that telemedicine readiness in the surveyed facilities is low and recommends a phased infrastructure investment programme prioritizing solar power, connectivity, and device provision. Keywords: telemedicine readiness, primary health care, infrastructure assessment, Adamawa State, digital health.