Perceived risk and the need for trust as drivers of improved surgical skills in 3D surgical video technology

Abstract

Based on the technology adoption model, the implementation of medical technology presents a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it may improve health outcomes and facilitate improved skills; on the other hand, it could elicit risk and trust concerns. In this exploratory study, which combines adoption of the medical technology with an associated skills improvement framework, we use responses from eighty-five staff members directly involved in the peri- and intra-operative care of the patient at a large hospital in Sweden during the gestating stages of 3D surgical video implementation. We find that a perceived lower risk for patients from 3D surgical videos is positively associated with improved surgical skills through a lower perceived need for trust in 3D surgical videos. The findings show that lower perceived losses lead to lower need for trust, which, in turn, improves perceptions of improved surgical skills. The findings carry implications for considering non-technological and non-medical factors in driving appreciation of the benefits (perceived improvements in surgical skills).