Telecare Services for Elderly: Predictive Factors of Continued Use Intention

BACKGROUND: Several countries have recently attempted to implement telecare information technology to provide health care to older adults. This study applied self-determination theory (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) and the theory of planned behavior (subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes toward using tools) to investigate a theoretical model for explaining the predictive factors influencing the intention of elderly patients to continue using telecare services. METHODS: Elderly patients in Taiwan (N = 160) who used telecare systems and fall-detection systems completed a questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied to test hypotheses. RESULTS: The results revealed that the main effects related to identification supported the notion that autonomy, relatedness, subjective norm, and attitudes toward using tools positively affect elderly patients’ intention to continue using telecare services. But, perceived competence and perceived behavioral control cannot be used as a predictor of intention to adopt telecare services. CONCLUSION: For an aging society, to provide appropriate ways to enhance elderly patients’ willingness to use telecare services is important. Our findings indicate that elderly patients’ perceived relatedness and subjective norm are both crucial predictors in intention to adopt telecare services. And it means that social influence may play a critical role in elderly patients’ intention to adopt telecare services; therefore, researchers can investigate social influence mechanisms in depth and examine them more closely in future research.