Acceptance factors of telemedicine technology during Covid‐19 pandemic among health professionals: A qualitative study

Abstract

Health professionals are the main users of telemedicine systems, and their acceptance will contribute to the successful implementation of this technology. The objective of this study is to provide a better understanding of the issues surrounding the acceptance of telemedicine technology by Moroccan health professionals in the public sector, in the preparation for a possible generalization of this technology in Morocco. Method: Following a literature review, the authors mobilized a modified version of the unified model of technology acceptance and use, to explain and understand the determinants of health professionals' intention to accept telemedicine technology. The authors' methodology is based on a qualitative analysis and is primarily based on data obtained through semi-structured interviews with health professionals, who the authors believe are the primary actors in the acceptance of this technology within Moroccan hospitals. Results: The authors' results suggest that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, compatibility, facilitating conditions, perceived incentives, and social influence have a significant positive impact on health professionals' behavioural intention to accept telemedicine technology. Practical implications: From a practical point of view, the results of this study can help the government, organizations responsible for the implementation of telemedicine, and policymakers to understand the key factors that may affect the behaviour of future users of this technology, and to develop very specific strategies and policies for a successful generalization.

Evaluation of Telemedicine Consultations Using Health Outcomes and User Attitudes and Experiences: Scoping Review

“…As for the identified studies that were conducted after the pandemic was declared, patients’ and HCPs’ acceptability toward or satisfaction with remote care was high in every case [ 50 - 56 ]. This is in line with previous studies that found a positive attitude toward telemedicine use among patients and HCPs during the pandemic [ 77 , 78 ]. However, such attitudes might have been influenced by the need to adopt remote care technologies imposed by the pandemic [ 65 ], rather than these being an optional alternative.…”

“…From patients’ perspectives, the reported benefits of telemedicine consultations are related to their convenience, time and cost efficiency, ease of access to HCPs’ insights, and informational aspects [ 39 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 52 , 55 , 56 ]. Barriers to these aspects have been identified as limitations to health care access for patients with chronic conditions [ 78 - 81 ]. The findings of this scoping review indicate that internet-based modalities can potentially address some of those pertinent barriers, especially considering that some patients viewed internet-based visits as comparable to in-person visits [ 40 , 42 , 50 , 56 ].…”

Transparency in Decision-making: the Role of Explainable Ai (Xai) in Customer Churn Analysis

“…The acceptance of telemedicine technology among health professionals was studied by Mohammed et al (2023) in the context of the Moroccan public sector [10]. Their research contributes to understanding the factors influencing the successful implementation of telemedicine technology.…”

“…In this equation (10), m represents the number of iterations, ρ represents the learning rate, and h m (x) represents the newly added weak model.…”

Successful Electronic Consultation Service Initiative in Quebec, Canada With Primary Care Physicians’ and Specialists’ Experiences on Acceptance and Use of Technological Innovation: Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

“…Actually, it is a well-established fact in health-related information technology (IT) literature that certain factors can influence physicians' perception of the use of technology such as telemedicine [77][78][79], electronic medical records (EMR) [80][81][82][83], clinical decision support systems [84][85][86], and mobile health (m-health) applications [87][88][89][90][91]. Behavioral and technology acceptance models are often used to explain user behavior [92][93][94][95].…”