Wearable from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals

Technology, also known as "wearable devices, technology or wearables" in the literature, refers to all electronic technological devices that can be easily worn on the body today. The concept of -smart-, which we have recently heard especially in cell phones, is also integrated with wearable technological devices. Thus, wearable technology can also be referred to as smart wearable devices. Keeping up with rapid technological change, society is more interested in wearable technology than standard technological products. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence healthcare professionals' intentions to use wearable technology and to evaluate these factors at both organizational and individual levels. Additionally, the study seeks to reveal the bibliographic evolution of the concept through bibliometric analysis. In line with this objective, the research investigates the intention to use wearable technology among healthcare professionals working in public and private hospitals in Istanbul, within the framework of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), developed by Venkatesh and colleagues. Furthermore, a total of 4,534 academic publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) between 1996 and 2025 were analyzed using VOSviewer software to map the conceptual development of wearable technology. In the empirical phase, surveys were administered to 730 healthcare workers, with 728 valid responses analyzed using the SPSS software. According to the results of factor analysis, regression, and ANOVA, the most influential predictors of intention to use wearable technology were performance expectancy (β = 0.618) and hedonic motivation (β = 0.513). Facilitating conditions, price/value perception, and habit showed moderate effects, while social influence and effort expectancy demonstrated only limited significance.