Innovasjon i norsk helsevesen : et casestudie om adopsjon av kommunikasjonsroboten AV1, som telemedisinsk verktøy i ambulansetjenesten

The integration of technology and e-health has become significant to improve public health, as well as to streamline and run healthcare services in a sustainable manner. This is demonstrated by testing of several welfare technologies and telemedicine solutions (Helsedirektoratet, 2012, NOU 2011:11). Profession-related and industrial characteristics, in addition to governmental resolutions, regulations and laws, are all prominent services/systems in the healthcare sector that affects an organization ́s ability to adopt and adopt to innovation. This study should be considered as a single integrated case study with several units of analysis and an abductive approach. This study aims to reveal a understanding of what prominent powers affect the integration of telemedicine in prehospital and acute medical services. A combination of both the “Technology Acceptance Model” and the “Technology- Organization-Environment framework” has been used alongside semi-structured and in-depth interviews, observation, and case-related documentation to develop this understanding. This study has focused on the ambulance services in the Norwegian municipalities of Røros and Holtålen, currently in a trial period with telepresence robot AV1 to test it as a telemedicine solution to improve and streamline the healthcare services in the districts. The study concludes that a telemedicine solution, such as the AV1 robot, can add value to ambulance healthcare personnel. However, the technology requires substantial adaptations for a complete integration. These findings contribute to further theory development and understandings of current research in a groundbreaking research field in Norway. The research question for this study is; “How is the adoption of telemedicine in prehospital acute medical services affected by the user experience and what implications does this have for future integration?”