Acceptability of Telemedicine Among Nurses Caring for Older Adults: A Quantitative Descriptive Study

Simona Hvalič-Touzery, Nejc Berzelak, Mojca Šetinc, Vesna Dolničar, Angela Kydd and Jerneja Laznik

Acta Informatica Pragensia, vol. preprint, No 1517

Abstract: Background: Telemedicine, though decades old, saw only limited use until the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite increasing adoption, barriers to using telemedicine remain pervasive.Objective: We sought to explore the acceptability of telemedicine among nurses caring for older adults by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).Methods: A descriptive, non-experimental, quantitative research design was used. An online survey was administered to Slovenian registered nurses experienced in caring for older adults (n = 244), of whom 111 with no prior telemedicine experience were included in the analysis. Data were collected between September and December 2023 and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and ordered logistic regression models.Results: Willingness to use telemedicine was positively associated with perceived usefulness for nursing practice and patient empowerment (both p < .05) and negatively influenced by technology anxiety and technology-based ageism (both p < .05). Technology anxiety was particularly associated with stronger resistance among the nurses least willing to use telemedicine. Higher self-rated telemedicine knowledge correlated positively with willingness to use telemedicine (p < .05), but this relationship ceased to be significant after perceived usefulness and technology anxiety were included in the model. Age was also negatively associated with nurses' willingness to use telemedicine (p < .05), suggesting generational barriers.Conclusion: Extending the TAM with domain-specific measures related to nursing practice and patient empowerment and with affective components - technology anxiety and technology-based ageism - improved its power to explain willingness to use telemedicine among nurses. Telemedicine knowledge is an important external factor, so professional development should help to improve digital skills and address ageist assumptions to support a socially inclusive and confident nursing workforce.

Keywords: Acceptability of telemedicine; TAM; Technology acceptance model; Digital health technologies; Technology-based ageism; Technology anxiety; Slovenia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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DOI: 10.18267/j.aip.319

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