Factors Associated With Nurses' Acceptance of the Electronic Intensive Care Unit

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Medical Informatics
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Telemedicine intensivist-led intensive care (eICU) is a viable alternative when on-site intensivist care is unavailable.
• While eICU can yield comparable patient outcomes to bedside care, successful implementation varies.
• Understanding factors influencing eICU acceptance is vital for optimizing its effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between perceived usefulness, ease of use, nurses' attitudes, and intention to use eICU.
• To identify participant characteristics associated with these eICU acceptance factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, correlational study design was employed.
• Anonymous online surveys were administered to bedside registered nurses.
• The study explored nurses' acceptance of the eICU system.

Main Results:

• Nurses' attitudes toward eICU and their intention to use it showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.83, p < .001).
• Nurse support was significantly associated with perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitudes, and intention to use eICU.
• Physician support also significantly correlated with perceived usefulness, ease of use, and nurses' attitudes toward eICU.

Conclusions:

• Support from both bedside physicians and registered nurses is most strongly associated with eICU service acceptance.
• Securing the support of bedside healthcare professionals is essential for successful eICU implementation.
• This highlights the importance of interprofessional collaboration in adopting telemedicine solutions in critical care.