Examining a Model of Mobile Healthcare Technology Acceptance by the Elderly in Taiwan

Abstract

“Graying of the globe” is an increasing phenomenon worldwide, accompanied with the expanding healthcare costs of long-term care and hospitalization. To deal with this issue, previous medical literature has suggested that the ultimate success of telemedicine depends not only on the technology itself but also on users’ acceptance of the technology. Differing from past healthcare studies which focused on physicians’ viewpoints, the current study investigates the use intention of mobile healthcare devices from the perspectives of elderly people in Taiwan. Meanwhile, this study proposes a model of mobile healthcare technology acceptance, and provides a theoretical and empirical assessment including sociological, technological, and individual variables. To achieve the research purpose, elderly people in the community were invited to participate in the study, with 338 effective questionnaires eventually collected for analysis using the structural equation modeling technique. The empirical results support the inclusion of perceived ubiquity, personal health knowledge, and perceived need for healthcare in the technology acceptance model. In sum, the mobile healthcare technology acceptance model provides researchers and practitioners with in-depth understanding of the introduction of new mobile healthcare technology devices. Further discussion is provided.

Keywords:

• Health Knowledge
• Health Need
• Mobile Healthcare Technology Acceptance Model
• Telehealth
• Ubiquity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chun-Hua Hsiao

Chun-Hua Hsiao, PhD, is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of Marketing at Kainan University, Taiwan. She received her Master’s Degree in Statistics from the University of Iowa and PhD in Management at the National Chiao Tung University. Her research interests include technology acceptance research and consumer behavior. Her recent works have been published in Scientometrics, Telematics and Informatics, LIBRI, Library Hi Tech, and The International Journal of Information Management. She also specializes in education, ethics and behavioral issues. She has published her works in Higher Education, Ethics & Behavior, and Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.

Kai-Yu Tang

Kai-Yu Tang, PhD, is an independent Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He received his PhD in Management from the National Chiao Tung University. His research interests include technology adoption, bibliometrics, and social network analysis. His current works have been published in Telematics and Informatics, LIBRI, Library Hi Tech, and Scientometrics. He is also interested in education research and has published his works in the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, The Journal of Science Education and Technology, Educational Technology & Society, and The International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education.