Understanding intention to use telerehabilitation : applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has the potential to reduce the symptoms and complications of respiratory diseases through an interdisciplinary approach. Providing PR services to the increasing number of patients with chronic respiratory diseases challenges the current health care systems because of the shortages in health care practitioners and PR programs. Using telerehabilitation may improve patients’ participation and compliance with PR programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explain telerehabilitation acceptance and to determine the demographic variables that can influence acceptance. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based design was utilized in the data collection. The survey scales were based on the TAM. The first group of participants consisted of health care practitioners working in PR programs. The second group of participants included patients attending traditional PR programs. The data collection process started in January 2017 and lasted until May 2017. Results: A total of 222 health care practitioners and 134 patients completed the survey. The results showed that 79% of the health care practitioners and 61.2% of the patients reported positive intention to use telerehabilitation. Regression analyses showed that the TAM was good at predicting telerehabilitation acceptance. Perceived usefulness was a significant predictor of the positive intentions to use telerehabilitation for health care providers (OR: 17.81, p < .01) and for the patients (OR: 6.46, p = .04). The logistic regression outcomes showed that age, experience in rehabilitation, and type of PR increased the power of the TAM to predict the intention to use telerehabilitation among health care practitioners. Age, duration of the disease, and distance from the PR center increased the power of the TAM to predict the intention to use telerehabilitation among patients. Conclusion: This is the first study to develop and validate a psychometric instrument to measure telerehabilitation acceptance among health care practitioners and patients in PR programs. The outcomes of this study will help in understanding the telerehabilitation acceptance. It will help not only to predict future adoption but also to develop appropriate solutions to address the barriers of using telerehabilitation.