What determines public perceptions of implantable medical technology: insights into cognitive and affective factors

  • Authors:

  • Anne Kathrin Schaar;Martina Ziefle

  • Affiliations:

  • Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;Communication Science, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

  • Venue:
  • USAB'11 Proceedings of the 7th conference on Workgroup Human-Computer Interaction and Usability Engineering of the Austrian Computer Society: information Quality in e-Health
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

Medical Technology is one of the rising branches of technology development within the last decades. Especially device miniaturization is enormously progressing what makes implantable technology to a promising approach for the future. Especially in times of the demographic change implantable medical technology could play its part in the delivery of healthcare services, supporting an independent and mobile aging. From a technical point of view, implants are far-developed and will enter the market in the next years. From a human factors' point of view, there is a considerable lack of acceptance-related knowledge and understanding of perceived benefits and barriers across a diverse population. Using a qualitative approach, this study gains insights into public perceptions of implantable medical technology, the level of information revealing misconceptions and basic fears. It thus explores cognitive and affective factors that form the acceptance of implantable medical technology. Results allow the identification of information and technical communication deficits in order to derive a sensitive information and communication policy.