Technology acceptance model (TAM)
Digital Health and AI
Definition. The technology acceptance model explains people’s intention to use a technology mainly by its perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.
Explanation
Proposed by Davis, TAM became one of the most widely used models in information systems research (Davis, 1989). Later versions added social influence and cognitive factors. In health care it is used to study clinicians’ adoption of new tools, for example surgeons’ adoption of 3D-printed implants (Reynolds et al., 2024).
TAM is parsimonious but critics note that it explains intention better than actual use and neglects organisational context. UTAUT extended it with facilitating conditions and social influence.
Related concepts
UTAUT Digital transformation Telehealth Structural equation modeling (SEM)
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References
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Reynolds, S., Donthu, N., & Campagna, C. (2024). Factors Influencing Orthopedic Surgeons’ Clinical Adoption of Innovative Technologies. Ortho Surg Ortho Care Int J, 3 (2), 000556. DOI: 10.31031/OOIJ.2024.03.000556.
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Technology acceptance model (TAM). In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/technology-acceptance-model/