Factors influencing decision support system acceptance

While clinical DSS have many proven benefits, their uptake by GPs (general practitioners) is limited. The purpose of this research was to develop and explore a UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) based model of how and why GPs accept DSS. Insight into the reasons why GPs do not use clinical DSS combined with knowledge of why GPs use DSS will allow the development of strategies to facilitate more widespread adoption with consequent improvements across many areas. Depth interviews were conducted with 37 GPs comprising a mix of education backgrounds, experience and gender. The developed model indicated that four main factors influence DSS acceptance and use including usefulness (incorporating consultation issue, professional development and patient presence), facilitating conditions (incorporating workflow, training and integration), ease of use and trust in the knowledge base.