The Technology Acceptance of Video Consultations for Type 2 Diabetes Care in General Practice: Cross-sectional Survey of Danish General Practitioners.

Abstract

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, video consultations became a common method of delivering care in general practice. To date, research has mostly studied acute or subacute care, thereby leaving a knowledge gap regarding the potential of using video consultations to manage chronic diseases.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine general practitioners’ technology acceptance of video consultations for the purpose of managing type 2 diabetes in general practice.MethodsA web-based survey based on the technology acceptance model measuring 4 dimensions—perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, and behavioral intention to use—was sent to all general practices (N=1678) in Denmark to elicit user perspectives. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.ResultsThe survey sample comprised 425 general practitioners who were representative of the population. Structural equation modeling showed that 4 of the 5 hypotheses in the final research model were statistically significant (P<.001). Perceived ease of use had a positive influence on perceived usefulness and attitude. Attitude was positively influenced by perceived usefulness. Attitude had a positive influence on behavioral intention to use, although perceived usefulness did not. Goodness-of-fit indices showed acceptable fits for the structural equation modeling estimation.ConclusionsPerceived usefulness was the primary driver of general practitioners’ positive attitude toward video consultations for type 2 diabetes care. The study suggests that to improve attitude and technology use, decision-makers should focus on improving usefulness, that is, how it can improve treatment and make it more effective and easier.