Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Abra Greenberg

Abstract

Telehealth has been proven to have a significant impact on patient outcomes; however, the use of telehealth in both rural and urban areas is sporadic and inconsistent. Although researchers have investigated this issue, there is little literature on the understanding of the impact healthcare provider (HCP) perception plays in this sporadic usage. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to understand how perception and behavioral intention of HCPs impacted the use of telehealth in rural and urban areas. The unified theory of acceptance and technology (UTAUT) was used to structure this research to facilitate determining the correlation between perception and behavioral intention to use telehealth. This theory was used to determine how each of the theory constructs (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions) impacted HCPs’ behavioral intention to use telehealth. Data were collected through a questionnaire developed from the UTAUT model that was sent to HCPs in California with a total of 45 responses. The study revealed a correlation between performance expectancy and behavioral intention (F (6,38) = 6.526, P < .001, R2 = .507), indicating that a higher performance expectancy was positively related to behavioral intention. Results of both the ANOVA and independent samples t test indicated that neither provider type nor location correlated with behavioral intention. Findings may result in positive social change through the increase of telehealth use through addressing HCPs concerns with performance expectations and thus increase the health of communities lacking lack access to care.

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