Extending UTAUT to Understand the Acceptance of Queue Management Technology by Physicians in UAE

Abstract

Queue Management is significant to improve the provided healthcare services. Despite previous studies on technology adoption and users’ intention to use various technologies in healthcare, users’ acceptance of queue management solutions (QMS) have rarely been measured. End users in healthcare domain and their acceptance for information technologies are important to ensure the success of implementation for these technologies. It is essential to assess the level of acceptance for those users, and understand the related influencing factors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the factors that impact the acceptance of technology by physicians in UAE. It proposes a model based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) extended by the construct “Trust”. The study was conducted in healthcare organization in UAE and represents 63 physicians. To evaluate the proposed model, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used, and data was analyzed using SmartPLS and SPSS Statistics Software. It was found that the proposed model could explain 62.3% of total variance in the behavioral intention to use Queue Management Solution (QMS) by physicians. The results also showed that Performance expectancy and Facilitating conditions are significantly influencing the physicians’ intention to accept using QMS. Moreover, Trust as external factor has positive significant influence on the beliefs of physicians, especially when it comes to the importance of QMS to gain better performance results. This study can provide useful knowledge for decision-makers in healthcare organizations; who are planning to implement new QMS, or enhance the current available solution.