Effect of u-healthcare service quality on usage intention in a healthcare service

The aging of society has become a major global concern influencing nearly every factor that affect life quality, including economic growth, labor markets, family composition, housing, pensions, and health. This social change requires a long-term care system that provides high-quality care for the elderly. The purpose of this study is to determine the quality characteristics of ubiquitous healthcare (u-healthcare) services for a healthcare service that influence service provider's usage intentions. A research model, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is developed and applied to a long-term care system in order to identify factors that affect individuals' usage intentions for u-healthcare. Appropriate measures are developed and then tested on 142 staff of long-term care hospitals. The results identify the factors that significantly affect usage intention. The study provides healthcare decision makers and policy makers with information that will aid them in planning and implementing systems for long-term care.