Usability differences of telehealth technologies by Multi-linguistic and Multi-cultural users in UAE

Background: Arab society like United Arab Emirates remains relatively conservative and committed to Arabic-and Islamic-rooted cultures and traditions and it is found that direct face-to-face interaction is crucial to Arab culture, as talking and personal visits, is preferred over any other mode of communication because it is believed that the face-to-face interaction produces trust, support and commitment. Differences in cultural and social factors among the population play an important role in determining the likelihood of individuals accepting the mode of healthcare services either in-person or remotely Methods: A survey of 325 telehealth participants on their satisfaction of this service and its usability was measured using Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ). This study included Arab and non-Arab participants to allow comparison. Results: The findings revealed that non-Arab participants were having a higher level of telehealth satisfaction than the Arab participants in terms of usefulness, easiness, effectiveness, and satisfaction of the service. The predictors of participant satisfaction across the whole sample and individually for the Arab and non-Arab participants were as follows: Gender, educational status, frequency, and purpose of using the service. Conclusions: The study highlights that the usability of telehealth service could be enhanced if it was culturally and linguistically adapted to match participants’ context.