Knowledge and attitudes toward digital health among medical students in Sudan: Results of an online cross-sectional study
Fatima Elbasri Abuelgasim Mohammed, Leena Yousif Omer Elbasheir, Elhassan Elbasri Abuelgasim Mohamed, Ahmed Loai Salah Mohamed, Mohamed Siefuddin Awad Elkarim Mohamed, Anfal Ismaeil Haroun Ibra, Mushrega Abdalla, Rasha Abdelbagi Mohamed Khairalla, Mohamed Mobark Obed Yousif, Kamila Salah Eldin Abdelrahman Mustafa, Walaa Hashim Ahmed Dahab, Rana Moammed Abdallah Ishag, Abdelrahman Mohamed Mahieldin Shareef, Sara Hassan Bashir MohamedNour, Basma Omer Mohammed Baba, Baraga Alsafi Mohamed Ismail, Amal Egbal Ibrahim Eisa, Mawada Mustafa Eltayeb Awadelkarim, Ammar Elgadi, Gotof Abdesalam Mustafa, Klimat Alataya Ibrahim AdamBackground
Digital health is a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare that uses digital technologies to improve health outcomes and health-system efficiency. As digital transformation reshapes global healthcare, medical education must equip future physicians with digital competencies. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of Sudanese medical students toward digital health and to identify perceived barriers to its integration into the health system and medical curricula.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Sudan between December 2023 and March 2025. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, with responses received from ten universities. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire adapted from a previously published instrument; both scales showed good internal consistency. Analyses were performed in R version 4.5.1, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results
A total of 585 students participated; most were female (68.5%) and in clinical years. The mean knowledge score was 13.54 (SD = 5.33), indicating moderate knowledge, and the mean attitude score was 29.19 (SD = 5.66), reflecting generally positive attitudes. Overall, 86.8% supported integrating digital health into the curriculum. The leading perceived barriers were lack of financial support (76.8%) and political instability (62.1%).
Conclusion
In this self-selected sample, students demonstrated moderate knowledge and generally positive attitudes toward digital health. The findings support gradual, context-sensitive integration of digital health education into Sudanese medical curricula, acknowledging the infrastructural and financial constraints imposed by the conflict.