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. 2024 Oct 9;3(10):e0000614.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000614. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Attitudes towards digital health technology for the care of people with chronic kidney disease: A technology acceptance model exploration

Daphne Kaklamanou  1 , Le Nguyen  1 , Miznah Al-Abbadey  1   2 , Nick Sangala  3 , Robert Lewis  3
Affiliations

Attitudes towards digital health technology for the care of people with chronic kidney disease: A technology acceptance model exploration

Daphne Kaklamanou et al. PLOS Digit Health. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long-term condition and a major health problem, which affects over 3.5 million adults in the UK. Use of digital technology has been proposed as a means of improving patient management. It is important to understand the factors that affect the acceptability of this technology to people living with chronic kidney disease. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM) to investigate whether perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness could predict intention behaviour. It then investigated if intention to use digital technology predicted actual use.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study whereby the TAM3 questionnaire was sent online to people known to have chronic kidney disease via Kidney Care UK. The characteristics of the respondents (age, sex, CKD stage) were recorded.

Principal findings: The questionnaire was sent to 12,399 people, of which 229 (39% drop out) completed it. The respondents' age ranged from 24-90 years and 45% (n = 102) were male. Thirty-five percent of participants had advanced kidney care, 33% (n = 76) had kidney transplant and 22% (n = 51) had CKD. A multiple regression analysis showed a perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the technology predicted behaviour intention to use digital health technology. Behaviour intention did not significantly predict actual use behaviour.

Conclusion: Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are important factors in determining the intention of people with CKD to use digital healthcare. However, a gap exists between this intention and readiness to actually use the technology. This needs to be overcome if digital healthcare is to gain future traction in the clinical scenario.

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Conflict of interest statement

The grant that was used to fund the current work by NHS England (nee NHSx), specifically wanted to bring Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), NHS trusts and Universities to work together. However, the research element was done independently from the SMEs and NHS Trust. The University team only reported our findings to the project partners. For subsequent parts of the research, we conducted, the SME supplied the technology and provide technology support but throughout all of this it has remained completely independent of the research. Nick Sangala a co-author to the current paper is the Director of Ardia Digital Health that is part of the MyRenalCare app that part of the grant was to scale up its use. He had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or decision to publish.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Interaction of Age and Perceived Usefulness on Behavioural Intention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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