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Understanding the emergence of wearable devices as next-generation tools for health communication

Eunil Park (School of Innovation, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea)
Ki Joon Kim (Department of Interaction Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
Sang Jib Kwon (Department of Business Administration, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 7 November 2016

2959

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify motivational factors for using wearable healthcare devices and examine the process by which these factors are integrated with the technology acceptance model (TAM) and contribute to the adoption of the devices.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey assessed the proposed motivational factors for the adoption of wearable healthcare devices. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted on collected data (n=877) to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the measurement and structural model.

Findings

Perceived control and interactivity of wearable healthcare devices as well as users’ innovative tendencies are positively associated with usage intention, while perceived cost has no significant effects on user intention to use the devices. The results also supported the explanatory strength and predictability of TAM.

Originality/value

Although the promising role of wearable devices in healthcare industries has gained much consumer attention, limited empirical investigations have been conducted on explicating how user attitude and usage intention are shaped regarding the devices. This study serves as one of the first attempts to empirically examine the adoption process, with implications for the future usage of wearable technology in the healthcare context.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2015S1A5B5A02010607). This study was also partially supported by the Dongguk University Research Fund of 2015.

Citation

Park, E., Kim, K.J. and Kwon, S.J. (2016), "Understanding the emergence of wearable devices as next-generation tools for health communication", Information Technology & People, Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 717-732. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-04-2015-0096

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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