RESISTANCE AND DRIVERS TO ADOPTING THE INTERNET OF THINGS IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Abstract

Adoption of the IoT is crucial in the healthcare industry to reduce congestion, long waiting times, misplaced records, and underemployment. IoT also allows faster and safer preventive care, lower overall cost, improved patient-centred practice and enhanced sustainability. This study aims to achieve two objectives. First, to identify the resistance to adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) in the healthcare sector, and second to determine the drivers that foster the adoption of the IoT in the healthcare sector. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) has been applied to determine the drivers for adopting IoT, while Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) has been used as an underlying theory for the resistance factors. Data was gathered by distributing questionnaires to healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies employees in four Malaysian regions and analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. A total of 77 respondents participated in the survey. The findings reveal that value barriers and risk barriers have a negative impact on the intention to adopt IoT; the usage barrier has a positive impact, but the traditional barrier has no significant impact on adoption. From the perspective of VSM, the visualisation of complex work patterns has a positive impact on the adoption of IoT, while quantifying resources does not have a significant impact. The outcomes of this study are expected to address the issue of the resistance to the adoption of IoT in the healthcare sector and provide empirical evidence to support the resistance concept idealised by IRT. The application of IRT and VSM in a single study provides a new research path in the field of adopting technology.Keywords: internet of things, healthcare sector, innovation resistance theory, value stream mapping, healthcaresectors, Malaysia