The Effect of Security, Privacy, Familiarity, and Trust on User's Attitudes Toward the Use of the IoT-Based Healthcare: The Mediation Role of Risk Perception

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of devices which contain electronics, sensors or software that enables them to connect at anytime and anywhere through a cyber-physical system. Before the establishment of such a system, it should be considered to what extent the users are ready to adopt and use it in their daily routines. Therefore, this paper explores users' attitudes towards using IoT technologies to receive healthcare services. This is in contrast to most previous research, which has studied the technical requirements or devices of the IoT that are required in healthcare services, or ways in which connectivity and performance can be improved using the IoT. Based on known models of technology acceptance, an integrated framework was developed to investigate the impact of security and privacy concerns, and familiarity with the technology, on users' trust in the IoT, and then to measure the effect of that trust on Omani users' attitudes regarding use of IoT technologies to receive healthcare services. This framework enabled the measurement of risk perception as a mediator between user trust and their attitudes towards using the IoT. Data were collected from 387 respondents and were analysed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 25 statistics software. Exploratory and confirmatory analysis and structural equation modelling were applied. The findings showed that levels of security, privacy and familiarity affected trustin the IoT. Furthermore, these levels of trust in the IoT were found to affect both users' perceptions of risk in, and their attitude towards, using the IoT. The users' risk perception partially mediated the relations between users' trust and their attitude regarding use of the IoT. The framework was supported and interpreted by 40 per cent of the variance in the attitude towards using the IoT in healthcare, while the mediator showed 47 per cent of the variance in the attitude towards using the IoT in healthcare.