READINESS FOR HEALTHCARE IOT ADOPTION IN SAUDI ARABIA: FROM INVESTIGATING CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS TO EXTENDING THE TAM MODEL

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to billions of physical devices that are connected to the internet, collecting and sharing data. Nowadays, IoT technology impacts virtually aspects of our lives. Many countries are now paying a lot of attention to this technology early, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, has put major emphasis on IoT as a driver of innovation and modernization, in line with the government’s Vision 2030 economic strategy. As a result, Saudi Arabia adopts IoT in different applications such as education, energy utilities, and e-government. However, its adoption in the healthcare sector is still less than expected due to many challenges like integration and security-related issues. To this end, the thesis addresses three related themes to enhance healthcare’s IoT adoption. In the opening part of this study, we investigate cybersecurity readiness as a factor for embracing IoT in healthcare. The principles of Cyber Readiness Index (CRI) 2.0 were explored and the level of readiness in Saudi Arabia has been determined. In the second part, IoT Cybersecurity awareness was analyzed for the extent, to which it influences adoption. The experimental research design approach served as the main method for collecting and analyzing the relevant data in our study. Pre- and post-tests are conducted to measure any changes in participants’ intention to adopt IoT in healthcare. Based on our understandings and findings, the third part proceeded to construct an extended TAM framework to define the factors affecting the IoT adoption rates. The final part presented a blockchain-Based prototype (BCHealth) involving the TAM factors that influenced the users’ intentions to adopt healthcare IoT. The proposed prototype was tested, experimented with by users, and endeavors to examine the influence that these prototypes have on IoT adoption. The findings reveal there are positive outcomes for employing blockchain technology as part of healthcare IoT in the future.

Keywords Internet of Things, Blockchain Technology, Personal Health Records, Perceived usefulness, Perceived ease-of-use, Attitude, Behavioral intention to use, Perceived Connectedness, Perceived Cost, Perceived Convenience , Privacy Concerns