Wearable Technology Acceptance in Healthcare
Summary
Wearable technology in healthcare encompasses a broad spectrum of devices—ranging from fitness trackers and smartwatches to continuous glucose monitors and textile-embedded sensors—designed to collect, analyse and transmit physiological and behavioural data. Acceptance of these technologies hinges on a constellation of user-centred factors, including perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust in data privacy and alignment with individual health goals. Theoretical models such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) have been widely applied to elucidate how attitudes, social influence and facilitating conditions shape behavioural intention and sustained use. Demographic variables (age, education, health status) and psychological constructs (technology anxiety, self-efficacy, health consciousness) further mediate adoption patterns, with distinct profiles emerging among younger adults, older populations and individuals managing chronic conditions. Cultural and contextual influences—such as national health policies, clinical endorsement and reimbursement schemes—also play a critical role in regional uptake. Globally, the practical applications of wearable devices span remote patient monitoring, early detection of health events, personalised feedback for lifestyle modification and integration into telehealth platforms. Ongoing research emphasises the importance of co-design, iterative usability testing and robust evidence of clinical validity to foster trust and scale adoption in routine care.
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Wearable Technology Acceptance in Healthcare publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in wearable technology acceptance in healthcare across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): A theoretical framework positing that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use predict users’ behavioural intention to adopt new technology.
Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): An integrative model that adds social influence, facilitating conditions and user motivations to core TAM constructs to explain technology adoption and usage behaviour.
Perceived usefulness: The degree to which a user believes that employing a particular device will enhance their health management or performance.
Perceived ease of use: The extent to which a user expects interacting with a device to be free of effort and complexity.
Social influence: The degree to which individuals perceive that important peers or institutions believe they should use the wearable device.
References
- Wearable Technology Acceptance in Health Care Based on National Culture Differences: Cross-Country Analysis Between Chinese and Swiss Consumers. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2020).
- Research on elderly users' intentions to accept wearable devices based on the improved UTAUT model. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
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