Healthcare Providers’ perspectives on the adoption of Smart Care Technologies in Korean Long-Term Care Hospitals

초록

Background Many smart care technologies have been developed recently, but it remains unclear which of them are necessary for use in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). Methods A total of 114 physicians, registered nurses (RNs), nurse assistants (NAs), and care assistants (CAs) from eight LTCHs completed a survey assessing perceived needs for 10 smart care technologies using 5-point Likert scales. One-sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA with Scheffé post-hoc tests, Friedman tests, and simple linear regression were used to examine differences by occupation and hospital characteristics. Additionally, focus group interviews with 10 participants were done. Results Mean perceived need for smart care technologies was 3.99, with the highest ratings for smart mattresses (4.14), all-in-one patient transfer robots (4.09), and smart monitoring systems (4.06). Regarding the most preferred by occupation, physicians chose smart monitoring systems (4.19) and leg-care devices (4.19), RNs chose smart mattresses (4.11), NAs chose radar-based fall detection devices (4.22), and CAs chose all-in-one patient transport robots (4.36). Perceived need for smart care technologies was higher in LTCHs with lower monthly family fees and in those without a rehabilitation service, accounting for 42.8% and 10.8% of the variance, respectively. Conclusion Smart care technologies were seen as necessary in LTCHs, but the types of technologies considered most important differed by occupational role and hospital characteristics.

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