Health Communication for Displaced Populations| Using a Modified Technology Acceptance Model and Communication Inequality Theory to Evaluate Telehealth Acceptance Among Resettled Refugees

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the willingness of resettled refugees to use telehealth services and to explore the influencing factors on resettled refugees’ use of telehealth services in New York’s capital district through a modified version of the technology acceptance model and communication inequality theory. The data analyzed in this study were drawn from the Telehealth and COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in New York Refugee Communities Survey (N = 353), conducted March–May 2022. In the multivariate analysis, willingness to use telehealth services in the future was significantly associated with perceived usefulness (OR = 14.61, p < .001), perceived ease of use (OR = 8.05, p < .001), age, and level of education. Thus, organizations providing telehealth services should emphasize the benefits of telehealth and provide adequate assistance and guidelines for population groups unfamiliar with new technologies. This study may assist telehealth providers in developing and implementing an equitable telehealth system.