Developing the healthcare technology acceptance model (H-TAM) for older adults
As life spans increase, many older adults are managing one or more chronic diseases at a time. Healthcare Technologies (HCTs) are a possible solution to support this population as they self-manage through monitoring and maintenance. For HCTs to help older adults, they must first be willing to use the technology. The purpose of the research was to understand what factors emerged when older adults considered using new HCTs, how well current models of technology acceptance represented these factors, and to understand how these factors differ between HCTs. Twenty-three participants with hypertension between the ages of 65-84 completed a semi-structured interview to gain insight into factors that emerged that may influence their intentions to use HCTs. During the interview, participants were presented with a scenario and one of three HCTs (blood pressure monitor, electronic pillbox, and multifunctional healthcare robot) to consider. A coding scheme categorized responses in MAXQDA to assess the frequency with which different factors were mentioned. Six factors in the context of HCTs that older adults considered that are not in previous models of technology acceptance: familiarity, perceived need, perceived benefit, advice acceptance, privacy, and trust. Based on the qualitative data, a conceptual model of the Healthcare-Technology Acceptance Model (H-TAM) for older adults was created to describe these factors as they relate to the factors from the literature. These findings provide insights about older adults and their intentions to accept or not accept HCTs that can inform dissemination of new technologies.
Healthcare Technology, Technology Acceptance, Older Adults
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign