Developing a model of technology acceptance within the Australian healthcare sector

The research reported in this paper elucidates the development, empirical validation and preliminary analysis of a model of technology acceptance by Australian occupational therapists. The study described involved the collection of quantitative and qualitative data through a national survey and a longitudinal multi-method case study within a communitybased healthcare organisation. The theoretical significance of this work is that it uses a thoroughly constructed research model, with potentially the largest sample size ever tested (2000+), to extend technology acceptance research into the health sector. Results provide support for the proposed model. This work reveals the complexity of the constructs and relationships that influence technology acceptance and highlights a need for reconceptualising current models. Results also demonstrate the importance of qualitative methodologies in information systems research. The significance and implications of the findings are discussed

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT): a literature review

YesPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic review of articles that have used the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Design/methodology/approach – The results produced in this research are based on the literature analysis of 174 existing articles on the UTAUT model. This has been performed by collecting data including demographic details, methodological details, limitations, and significance of relationships between the constructs from the available articles based on the UTAUT. Findings – The findings indicated that general purpose systems and specialized business systems were examined in the majority of the articles using the UTAUT. The analysis also indicated that crosssectional approach, survey methods, and structural equation modelling analysis techniques were the most explored research methodologies whereas SPSS was found to be the largely used analysis tools. Moreover, the weight analysis of independent variables indicates that variables such as performance expectancy and behavioural intention qualified for the best predictor category. Moreover, the analysis also suggested that single subject or biased sample as the most explored limitation across all studies. Research limitations/implications – The search activities were centered on occurrences of keywords to avoid tracing a large number of publications where these keywords might have been used as casual words in the main text. However, we acknowledge that there may be a number of studies, which lack keywords in the title, but still focus upon UTAUT in some form. Originality/value – This is the first research of its type which has extensively examined the literature on the UTAUT and provided the researchers with the accumulative knowledge about the model

The adoption of virtual reality for medical training in the context of South African higher education.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Virtual reality (VR) is progressively being acknowledged as a useful tool for medical training. The adoption of VR for medical training in developing countries is at a slow pace compared to developed countries. The paucity of innovative systems such as VR training systems and the lack of exposure to these systems in developing countries tend to widen the gap in competency between medical professionals from developed and developing countries. VR in South Africa is a new concept and, therefore, limited literature exists from a South African educational perspective. This study aimed to fill the gap in literature from a South African perspective by investigating the determinants of the adoption of VR for medical training at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was used as the guiding framework to investigate the perceived usefulness of using VR, the perceived effort required to use it, and the social factors and facilitating conditions that can influence its adoption for medical training. The study further aimed to determine the challenges associated with the adoption of VR for medical training within the South African higher education context. Findings from interviews with 12 purposively sampled lecturers revealed that most respondents perceived that VR would be easy to use for medical training should the necessary training and support be provided. Some respondents had not previously experienced VR immersive environments and hence felt that using VR for medical training would be difficult. The researcher deduced from the responses that the respondents would be influenced to adopt VR for medical training by other medical professionals who were currently using VR and that the degree of influence would be an important factor in adoption. Although the respondents perceived VR to be useful, they voiced that the adoption of VR for medical training at South African educational institutions could be hampered by challenges associated with the lack of infrastructure, knowledge of VR, finance, resistance to change, user’s inability to differentiate simulated environments from the real-world and poor design of the VR system (interface). The respondents suggested a gradual approach to VR adoption, forming partnerships with VR companies and seeking sponsorships or donations from alumni to address the finance-related impediments. Furthermore, to ensure the successful adoption of VR for medical training by South African educational institutions, they mentioned the need for: government to address financial constraints by increasing the budget allocated to South African healthcare; an effective change management process to address resistance to change; a cost-benefit analysis; and, finally, training to surmount the challenges.List of Tables on page ix