Factors influencing the acceptance of telemedicine for diabetes management

Telemedicine service is effective intervention in blood glucose management and reducing the progression of diabetic complications. While telemedicine service for the enhanced management of diabetes has been known for its usefulness, there is little understanding regarding which factors should be considered when diabetic patients accept telemedicine. Thus, this study aimed to examine the factors that influence the acceptance of telemedicine service for the enhanced management of diabetes mellitus based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technolog (UTAUT) model. Data were collected from a paper-based survey of 116 diabetic patients who were outpatients in six different university hospitals. This study used partial least squares regression to determine the causal relationship between the five variables. Demographic variables, such as age and gender, as moderating variables for behavioral intention to use were analyzed. The results indicate that facilitating factors have effects on the behavioral intention to use telemedicine service through the performance expectancy (p < 0.05). In addition, facilitating factors have effects on the behavioral intention to use telemedicine service through the effort expectancy (p < 0.05). This study also found that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence have positive effects on behavioral intentions to use telemedicine service, as predicted using the UTAUT model (p < 0.05). Finally, gender and age were found to be moderators between PE and behavioral intention to use telemedicine service as predicted using the UTAUT model. Our results showed that telemedicine service for diabetes mellitus management should facilitate infrastructure methods such as continuous assistance service and service guideline education. Therefore, the capacity of telemedicine service providers is more important for telemedicine success than the competence of the individuals receiving telemedicine service care. In addition, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence are influencing factors for the acceptance of telemedicine service for diabetes management. Accordingly, in order to raise service usage, telemedicine service providers’ variety support is important.