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Factors Affecting Nurse Adoption of Web 2.0 Tools

The decomposed theory of planned behavior is a helpful framework

According to a study published recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Web 2.0 tools can be used by nurses for knowledge sharing, social interaction, and the production of collective intelligence, if certain barriers are addressed.

The authors of the study wanted to investigate the use of Web 2.0 tools, as their popularity has grown rapidly and they offer a host of new opportunities for the medical world. The most common tools are the wiki, really simple syndication (RSS), the podcast, tags, the social bookmark, and social networking software and services. All have great potential for nurses to build communities and learn through knowledge sharing. However, barriers to use exist. The authors sought to analyze the barriers via the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB), a human behavior model. They chose the DTPB because it is more managerially relevant than other models, and points to specific factors that may influence nurse adoption and usage.

The study authors developed a questionnaire based on the DTPB, and 388 nurses -- 81 percent female and 56 percent between 21 and 30 years -- completed it between January 2009 and April 30, 2009. Peer participation and hospital support with policy and regulation were the top factors influencing nurse adoption of Web 2.0 tools. The nurses also expressed concerns regarding usefulness, advantages, compatibility with their current computing/mobile platform, and technology availability. Perceived ease of use was not significant in predicting attitude toward adoption.

“The implication, then, is that health policy makers should make more effort to illustrate the usefulness, advantages, and compatibility of the application of Web 2.0 tools for knowledge sharing, learning, social interaction, and the production of collective intelligence and ensure that the technology is available to nurses. The other work for policy makers is to take a leadership role in promoting and supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 tools in the hospital environment and encouraging nurses to adopt Web 2.0 tools with their peers and senior management. Other resources such as money, time, and trainers can be subsidized or provided by the hospital authority,” the authors conclude.

Source: Lau ASM. 2011. Hospital-based nurses’ perceptions of the adoption of Web 2.0 tools for knowledge sharing, learning, social interaction and the production of collective intelligence. Journal of Medical Internet Research 13(4):e92.