Remote Patient Healthcare: Behavioral and cultural determinants in telemedicine and digital health platforms

Abstract

Purpose: The current research analyzes the most important behavioral factors and cross-cultural factors that influence the adoption of virtual doctor consultations. The combination of behavioural and cultural approaches provides a stream of research that fills existing gaps in telehealth acceptance and provides practical implications in designing user-centred digital health solutions. 

Methods: To develop a literature review (SLR) synthesis of the literature, this study utilized a systematic review of the literature in the fields of healthcare, psychology, business, and sociology and thus developed an integrative theoretical framework of telemedicine adoption. The review has critically analyzed empirical studies in order to establish the cognitive, emotional, social and contextual variables that affect the adoption behavior of users. 

Theoretical Synthesis: The analysis, based on the existing frameworks, such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) summarizes the existing and new determinants of telemedicine usage. Besides performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions, the study highlights new behavioural aspects, including trust, perceived risk, contamination avoidance, psychological predispositions, habitual behaviour, and perceived severity of illness, which play a significant role in the engagement of users to virtual healthcare services. 

Conclusion: The research hypothesizes a model that brings together behavioural, cultural, and emergent digital-health views and leads to developing the theoretical knowledge about the adoption of telemedicine. The results provide evidence-based recommendations to researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers aiming to make telemedicine more accessible, develop user trust, and ensure the adoption of telemedicine among culturally diverse groups of people.