Antecedents of Technological Readiness Among Nurses: Explaining Attitudes Toward a Virtual Care Assistant in...

Due to demographic changes, the need for healthcare among older persons is expected to increase. Modern technologies, such as digital health applications and telecare solutions embedded into the care practice, offer potential solutions. Evidence on healthcare professionals' acceptance of digital technologies and their technological readiness is rather scarce. This study assesses the factors on technological readiness regarding a prototypical virtual healthcare assistant among nurses in Austria and Germany through an online survey (n = 289). Utilizing the extended Unified Theory of Technology Use and Acceptance model and structural equation modeling, the study shows that socioeconomic attributes influence views on technology beyond factors of technology acceptance. Technological affinity, skepticism, and views toward digitalization in healthcare are mainly relevant to explain certain attitudes toward virtual healthcare assistant solutions. The findings highlight the necessity to expand existing theoretical frameworks with social factors to better understand technological readiness in healthcare.