title: DETERMINANTS OF THE INTENTION TO USE TELEMEDICINE: EVIDENCE FROM PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While most studies have focused on analyzing the results of telemedicine use, it is crucial to consider the determinants of its use to fully understand the issue. This article aims to provide evidence on the determinants of telemedicine use in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey targeted a total population of 398 medical professionals from a healthcare institution in Spain. The study sample was formed by the ninety-three primary care physicians who responded. Using an extended Technology Acceptance Model and microdata for the ninety-six physicians, binary logistic regression analysis was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis performed confirmed the model's goodness-of-fit, which allowed 48.1 percent of the dependent variable's variance to be explained. The outcomes revealed that the physicians at the healthcare institution placed greater importance on telemedicine's potential to reduce costs, and on its usefulness to the medical profession. The perception of medical information security and confidentiality and the patients' predisposition toward telemedicine were the second explanatory factors in order of importance. A third set of moderating effects would appear to corroborate the importance of the physicians' own opinions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results have revealed the need for a dynamic approach to the design of telemedicine use, especially when it targets a variety of end-users. Hence, the importance of conducting studies before using telemedicine, and attempting to identify which of the above-mentioned predictors exert an influence and how.
authors.affiliation: Open University of Cataloniafsaigi@uoc.edu.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saigi-Rubió
authors.affiliation: Open University of Catalonia.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Zarco
authors.affiliation: Open University of Catalonia.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torrent-Sellens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013030:Spain; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Intention to use; Perceived attitudes; Probabilistic models of causation; Technology acceptance model (TAM); Technology drivers; Telemedicine adoption