The Attitudes and Perceptions of Israeli Psychiatrists Toward Telepsychiatry and Their Behavioral Intention to Use Telepsychiatry

Reconstructing Risk Dimensions in Telemedicine: Investigating Technology Adoption and Barriers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted health care toward virtual and online models, impacting both users and providers. Numerous user concerns and perceived risks related to telemedicine are continually evolving and adjusting in response to the pandemic. In many countries, there has been a substantial increase in the use of virtual health care visits, which offers a unique opportunity for researchers to explore these user concerns.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to first reconstruct the risk dimensions associated with telemedicine, then identify the risk factors affecting users' adoption, and finally propose effective solutions to mitigate these concerns. By integrating the newly constructed perceived risk with the technology acceptance model (TAM), we scrutinized various dimensions of perceived risk and their influence on users' perceptions of ease of use, perceived usefulness, and use intention (UI).

METHODS

Our target population consists of adults aged ≥18 years who have used or may use telemedicine services, recruited through an anonymous, voluntary, open, web-based survey. We collected responses and used part of them to reconstruct risk dimensions using exploratory factor analysis. Subsequently, we analyzed the intricate relationship between perceived risk, the TAM, and the acceptance of telemedicine using structural equation modeling with another part of the responses.

RESULTS

A total of 1600 valid responses were collected. Eight distinct risk dimensions were reconstructed, revealing a substantial negative impact of performance risk on UI. The psychological and social risk was the strongest barrier to the ease of using telemedicine. Time risk, provider risk, and privacy risk were not statistically significant to the TAM. The resulting model elucidates a remarkable 66% variance in UI for telemedicine services.

CONCLUSIONS

This study substantially advances the field of telemedicine research by reconstructing and redefining 8 risk dimensions and confirming the statistical significance of 5 perceived risks on the adoption of telemedicine services. These insights are poised to facilitate the promotion and enhancement of telemedicine services in the health care sector.

Social influence, performance expectancy, and price value as determinants of telemedicine services acceptance in Chile

Medicine is a discipline based on and nurtured by scientific research and technological development. The use of health services supported by information technology is increasing worldwide, and Latin America is no exception. Factors such as needing more specialists in peripheral cities, large geographic areas, and socio-cultural aspects limit the possibility of receiving timely and quality medical care services. Information Technology (IT) for health purposes, such as e-health, is a cost-effective solution for equitable access to quality healthcare services and optimization of the rising associated costs. As an e-health service, telemedicine facilitates and mediates distance communication between the patient and medical staff. Even though Latin America is at the beginning of the development of telemedicine, it would have a relevant impact, given the geographic and socioeconomic conditions of the population in this part of the world. Drawing on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) theory, we developed a theoretical model to identify the latent factors influencing the public acceptance of telemedicine and examined their interrelationships. A survey questionnaire was designed and administered to 391 residents in Antofagasta, a mine region of Chile. After that, structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the survey data. The results reveal that the UTAUT2 factors' performance expectancy, social influence, and price value significantly impact the intention to use (R 2 = 0.693). Additionally, the model presented a good fit. This study enriches the existing theoretical research on the acceptance of telemedicine services and offers insights into understanding and managing technology in the Chilean health sector.

Factors that determine mental health professionals' decision to support home-based video consultations - A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Using videoconferencing for consulting with patients in the mental health services has been shown in interventions to be similarly effective as when meeting in person. In practice, it often makes more sense to use video consultations with patients in a more flexible way than interventions permit. The aim of this study was to investigate what constitutes a professional video consultation from the perspectives of mental health professionals and explore what is of importance for the establishment and realization of video consultations in practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Grounded Theory methodology approach based on Corbin and Strauss was used. Data collection consisted of participant observations of introductory events followed by individual interviews with mental health professionals who had used video consultations with patients.

FINDINGS

Mental health professionals believed that a professional video consultation was one that was not inferior to an in-person consultation but offered something else, such as more and easier access, accommodating patients' needs and wishes. At the same time, it should not interfere with the treatment quality, e.g., by hampering communication and therapeutic tasks. The expected treatment quality was based on an individual assessment of the patient and varied from clinician to clinician. The implementation process and support which the organization provided affected the clinicians' attitudes as well as the clinicians' experiences and hence how the clinicians assessed the quality of the service.

CONCLUSION

Perceived usefulness, patient demands, and close IT support will positively impact the establishment and realization of video consultations whereas high workload and technical problems would hamper it.