What influences patients? continuance intention to use AI-powered service robots at hospitals? The role of individual characteristics*

AI-powered service robots have gradually developed into popular self-service agents in the health care industry. Though prior research has investigated what affects individuals' adoption of AI-powered service robots in the service industry, few have considered patients' continuance intention for AI-powered service robots at hospitals from the perspective of patients' characteristics. Drawing on the Technology Adoption Model and individual characteristics (i.e., trust in technology and independent personality), we develop a framework testing the factors influencing patients' continuance intention (CI) for AI-powered service robots at hospitals with Intelligent Guide Robots as an example. The model is validated using PLS-SEM analysis and data from 543 patients of a 3-A hospital in Eastern China. The study finds that patients' trust in AI techniques and independent personality positively influence their perception of usefulness (PU), ease-of-use (PEOU), and enjoyment (PE), respectively. Moreover, PU, PEOU, and PE are significant predictors of CI toward AI-powered service robots. PEOU and PE partially mediate the relationship between trust/independent personality and CI. The findings imply that organizations in the healthcare could try their best to increase users' trustworthiness toward AI techniques. In addition, developers could continuously upgrade AI-powered service robots to improve patients' PE and PEOU.

Automated summary

AI-powered service robots have become popular in the healthcare industry. This study investigates the factors influencing patients' continuance intention for AI-powered service robots at hospitals, considering patients' trust in technology and independent personality. The findings show that patients' trust in AI techniques and independent personality positively influence their perception of usefulness, ease-of-use, and enjoyment. Moreover, these perceptions significantly predict patients' continuance intention towards AI-powered service robots, with ease-of-use and enjoyment partially mediating the relationship between trust/independent personality and continuance intention.