Nursing students' intent to use AI-based healthcare technology: Path analysis using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology

Abstract

BackgroundMarked advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies throughout industries, including healthcare, necessitate a broader understanding their use. Particularly, intent to use AI-based healthcare technologies and its predictors among nursing students, who are prospective healthcare professionals, is required to promote the utilization of AI. ObjectiveThis study conducted a path analysis to predict nursing students' intent to use AI-based healthcare technologies based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. DesignA cross-sectional survey was performed. ParticipantsThe participants were 210 nursing students from two nursing schools in Korea. MethodsThis study established hypothetical paths for the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, self-efficacy, and anxiety on intent to use AI-based technologies. Mediation of positive and negative attitudes and facilitating conditions' direct effects on intent to use were examined. ResultsPositive attitude toward AI (β = 0.485, p = .009) and facilitating conditions (β = 0.117, p = .045) predicted intent to use, whereas the path from negative attitude to intent to use was not significant. Performance expectancy, self-efficacy, and effort expectancy predicted positive attitude. Performance expectancy and self-efficacy had a negative effect on the path to negative attitude, whereas anxiety had a positive effect. Facilitating conditions did not significantly predict positive or negative attitude and only directly predicted intent to use. Social influence did not have a significant effect on intent to use. ConclusionsIntervention programs and other measures should be developed to provide education and information to boost performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and self-efficacy regarding the use of AI to lower anxiety and foster positive attitude toward AI-based health technologies.