Factors Influencing Home Care Nurses' Behavioral Intention to Use Digital Healthcare

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Health Informatics
• Nursing Technology Adoption
• Digital Health Acceptance Models

Background:

• Aging populations necessitate innovative healthcare solutions, with home care and digital healthcare being key strategies.
• Understanding nurses' behavioral intention to adopt digital healthcare is crucial for effective implementation in home care settings.
• The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) provides a framework for examining technology adoption factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral intention of home care nurses to use digital healthcare technologies.
• To identify the key factors influencing the adoption of digital healthcare among home care nurses using the UTAUT model.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 180 home care nurses in South Korea.
• The survey included assessments of experience and intention to use 19 digital health technologies.
• Key UTAUT constructs (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, attitude, concerns) were measured.

Main Results:

• Big data/AI solutions and AI-assisted care sensors showed the highest behavioral intention for use.
• A negative correlation was observed between usage experience and intention across all technologies.
• Effort expectancy and social influence were significant predictors of adoption, with social influence being the strongest.

Conclusions:

• Home care nurses exhibit a strong general intention to adopt digital healthcare technologies.
• Enhancing user satisfaction is critical due to the negative relationship between experience and intention.
• Reducing perceived effort and bolstering social support are essential for successful digital health integration in home care.