A Study on the Acceptance Experiences of IoT-Based Care Services among Older Adults Living Alone with Multiple Chronic Conditions

This study explores the acceptance experiences of IoT-based care services among older adults living alone with multiple chronic conditions. Using the extended Technology Acceptance Model as an analytical framework, repeated in-depth interviews with participants in an IoT-based monitoring pilot project were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Three major categories were identified: initial perceptions of IoT-based care services, experiences of use in everyday living spaces, and needs for continued use. The findings show that acceptance was shaped by expectation of constant connection, uncertainty about service distinctiveness, unfamiliarity with the device, privacy concerns, renewed awareness of health status, trust through confirmation of device operation, needs for broader connectivity, and the need for a human response system. These results suggest that IoT-based care services are accepted not merely as technologies, but as care resources when perceived usefulness, ease of use, technology anxiety, privacy concerns, trust, and facilitating conditions interact within users(cid:146) everyday lives.