Evaluating perceived technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance in optometry students.

Area of Science:

• Optometry Education
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Technology Adoption

Background:

• Technological advancements necessitate the adoption of telehealth for improved patient care.
• Understanding telehealth adoption barriers and facilitators is crucial for effective implementation.
• The acceptance and support for telehealth among optometry students remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate telehealth acceptance among optometry students.
• To assess the association between students' technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance.
• To determine if telehealth training influences this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Final-year optometry students participated in a telehealth course and completed pre- and post-learning surveys.
• Technology self-efficacy was measured using an adapted Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment.
• Telehealth acceptance was assessed using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology-2 (UTAUT-2).

Main Results:

• Technology self-efficacy scores increased from 83.8% to 87.8% post-training.
• Telehealth acceptance scores improved significantly from 66.1% to 73.98% post-training.
• A significant positive correlation between technology self-efficacy and telehealth acceptance emerged post-training (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Optometry students exhibit higher technology self-efficacy than telehealth acceptance.
• Telehealth training demonstrably enhanced students' acceptance of telehealth.
• Training is key to improving the integration of telehealth in optometry education and practice.