Consumer acceptance of robotic surgeons in health services

Abstract

Over the course of the preceding half-century, specific advancements in robotic technologies have been assimilated into the continuum of human life in a seamless manner, demonstrating the profound impact of robotics on society. Nevertheless, the actual consumer response to service robots remains a subject of ongoing research, with scant attention paid to it thus far. This study focuses on the potential factors influencing the acceptance of robots in the realm of health services. Specifically, a model has been developed to explain individuals’ willingness to use a robot as a surgeon to correct visual impairment in one eye. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLSc-SEM) technique is deployed to validate the proposed hypotheses. The model proposed exhibits a robust explanatory power concerning the intention to utilize the robot surgeon, as evidenced by a high R-squared value of 0.817. The findings show the influence of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, and perceived risk on the intention to adopt robot services. However, the emotional dimensions, specifically pleasure and arousal, were not observed to exert any significant impact on the intention to employ the proposed robot surgeon. The proposed and tested model serves as a roadmap for future research and holds significant practical implications for the industry, paving the way for a more robot-friendly future in health services.