Abstract
Numerous studies have reported the rapid increase in the number of individuals who use smartphones. However, smartphones appear to be increasingly used by healthcare workers, particularly physicians and nurses. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the readiness of medical doctors and patients with chronic conditions in using and adopting smartphones for communication. This study employs the Technology Acceptance Model to examine the behavior of people in using smartphones from the perspectives of trust and rural areas. To realize our objective, we conducted a questionnaire survey that involved medical doctors and patients with chronic conditions. Our particular focus was Al Qunfudhah City in Saudi Arabia. More than 200 questionnaires were distributed to people belonging to different healthcare sectors in the rural areas of Al Qunfudhah City. Our aim was to include every possible scenario and to obtain excellent perspectives. The results that we eventually analyzed indicated that trust factor and rural areas significantly influence the readiness of people belonging to the healthcare sector toward using smartphones. The results of our study concur with the findings of other studies. Our results indicate that smartphones and other high-technology gadgets are now necessary and accepted devices in the different healthcare fields. However, further studies should explore the challenges and effects of smartphone use in the healthcare sector.
Highlights
Many organizations have accepted using mobile technology devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and smartphones, in the course of their operation and the work of their employees
A conceptual model for adopting smartphones in the healthcare sector based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was proposed in this study
This model was recommended to evaluate the effects of trust, rural area, and all TAM factors on the adoption and use of smartphones in various healthcare sectors
Summary
Many organizations have accepted using mobile technology devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and smartphones, in the course of their operation and the work of their employees. The success of mobile phone usage in supporting telemedicine and remote healthcare in developing countries has been highlighted by several studies [8]. Examples of such use include off-site medical diagnosis [9] and as information support for the treatment of HIV cases in far-flung rural areas [10]. Recent literature has featured studies that evaluate the particular functionalities of smartphones, including an assessment of the use of on-board digital diaries in symptom research [11], short message service (SMS) usage in behavior change management [12], in sexual health education [13], and in improving the adherence of patients to antiretroviral treatment [14]. A comparison of mobile phone records usage against conventional paper-based records in controlled drug trials has been performed by one study [15]
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