Enhancing the acceptance of smart sensing in psychotherapy patients: findings from a randomized controlled trial
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Objective Smart sensing has the potential to make psychotherapeutic treatments more effective. It involves the passive analysis and collection of data generated by digital devices. However, acceptance of smart sensing among psychotherapy patients remains unclear. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study investigated (1) the acceptance toward smart sensing in a sample of psychotherapy patients (2) the effectiveness of an acceptance facilitating intervention (AFI) and (3) the determinants of acceptance. Methods Patients (N = 116) were randomly assigned to a control group (CG) or intervention group (IG). The IG received a video AFI on smart sensing, and the CG a control video. An online questionnaire was used to assess acceptance of smart sensing, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and social influence. The intervention effects of the AFI on acceptance were investigated. The determinants of acceptance were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM). Results The IG showed a moderate level of acceptance (M = 3.16, SD = 0.97), while the CG showed a low level (M = 2.76, SD = 1.0). The increase in acceptance showed a moderate effect in the intervention group (p < .05, d = 0.4). For the IG, performance expectancy (M = 3.92, SD = 0.7), effort expectancy (M = 3.90, SD = 0.98) as well as facilitating conditions (M = 3.91, SD = 0.93) achieved high levels. Performance expectancy (γ = 0.63, p < .001) and effort expectancy (γ = 0.36, p < .001) were identified as the core determinants of acceptance explaining 71.1% of its variance. The fit indices supported the model's validity (CFI = .95, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .08). Discussion The low acceptance in the CG suggests that enhancing the acceptance should be considered, potentially increasing the use and adherence to the technology. The current AFI was effective in doing so and is thus a promising approach. The IG also showed significantly higher performance expectancy and social influence and, in general, a strong expression of the UTAUT factors. The results support the applicability of the UTAUT in the context of smart sensing in a clinical sample, as the included predictors were able to explain a great amount of the variance of acceptance.
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The public attitude and acceptance of digital health care systems remains a major barrier.
“On a more general note, the public attitude and acceptance of digital health care systems remains a major barrier (53, 92–94).”
From Acceptance of smart sensing, its determinants, and the efficacy of an acceptance-facilitating intervention in people with diabetes: results from a randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [94]
The Conclusion reports low-to-moderate baseline acceptance of smart sensing among psychotherapy patients and links acceptance to technology use. This supports acceptance as an implementation barrier in that setting, but the paper does not establish that public attitudes toward digital health care systems generally remain a major barrier. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Rottstädt, F., Becker, E., Wilz, G., Croy, I., Baumeister, H., & Terhorst, Y.
- Affiliations
- Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DE)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Rottstädt, Fabian
- Venue
- Frontiers in Digital Health
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2024-04-18
- Volume
- 6
- Pages
- 1335776-1335776
- ISSN
- 2673-253X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11063245
- OpenAlex
- W4394930615
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 4.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Digital Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Common Library Network (Der Gemeinsame Bibliotheksverbund) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Keywords
- smart sensing, technology acceptance, psychotherapy patients, UTAUT, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, social influence, digital health technologies, patient adherence, video-based intervention, psychotherapy adherence
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