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Autonomous Delivery Robots (ADR), an innovative last-mile delivery method, can be seen as a sustainable solution for the distribution of goods in urban cities. This study combines the modified-TAM (encompassing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and threat elements of the health belief model) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) into the stimulus-organism-response framework to explain consumer intention to use ADRs. The responses of 500 respondents living in Singapore were collected via an online questionnaire, and the collected results were obtained using structural equation modelling. Using the modified-TAM and TPB constructs as the main conceptual framework for analysis, the results show significant results for consumers' ADR usage. Based on total effects analysis, attitude shows the largest effect on consumers' intention to use ADRs, followed by perceived usefulness, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. Overall, the findings give an extensive insight into the key determinants influencing consumers' intention to use ADRs and offer strategic policy recommendations to encourage the use of ADRs.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a brand-new phenomenon in customer consumption patterns. This resulted from heightened health awareness brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic. There is a dearth of appropriate health psychology perspectives in the existing study examining the effect of COVID-19 on consumers' use of crowdsourced logistics (CL) platforms. In order to provide unique and thorough insights into how consumer health concerns can affect consumers' subjective views and their decisions to use CL, this study combines the health belief model and the technology acceptance model. Design/methodology/approach: Five hundred valid responses from an online survey that was created and administered in Singapore were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: The findings show that all of the suggested constructs have a favourable influence on consumers' intentions to use CL. The suggested model also demonstrates high explanatory power, with perceived usefulness serving as the primary driver, followed by perceived ease of use and self-efficacy. Originality/value: The study advances previous academic research on CL and offers guidance to CL companies and lawmakers for promoting sustainable and secured last-mile delivery. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen hospitals isolating suspect cases. Geriatric populations are at a risk of severe COVID-19 disease and often present with concomitant geriatric syndromes requiring holistic interdisciplinary care. However, isolation of older people poses challenges to care delivery. This study shares the experience of Singapore's first acute geriatric isolation facility geriatric PARI (Pneumonia-Acute Respiratory Infection) ward and describes the geriatric-related outcomes and pitfalls in care delivery. Method(s): This is a retrospective cross-sectional study performed in 7 negative pressure isolation rooms in an acute care public hospital in Singapore. 100 patients admitted consecutively to the geriatric PARI ward were included. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms and geriatric-related adverse outcomes associated with hospitalisation were collected and analysed. Result(s): Patients' mean age was 86.4 years (standard deviation [SD]: 6.8) with significant comorbidities being hypertension (81%), hyperlipidaemia (74%) and renal disease (70%). 51% of patients had dementia and 24% had behaviour and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). 27% of patients presented atypically with delirium and 15% presented with a fall. Delirium was associated with restraint use (OR: 3.88;p-value 0.01). Falls rate was 1.64 per 1000 occupied bed. 1 patient screened positive for COVID-19. Conclusion(s): The geriatric PARI ward is essential for curbing nosocomial transmission of COVID-19. This is important in the older people with comorbidities who are more likely to develop morbidity and mortality. Our study reveals challenges in delivering person-centred care to the older patients in isolation rooms, especially in the management of delirium and falls prevention. Innovative strategies should be developed to minimise isolation-related adverse outcome.Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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Crowdsourced delivery has various advantages over conventional delivery methods, including a decrease in emissions and road congestion. These benefits grow as consumer loyalty is established due to network externalities. This study seeks to identify the factors influencing customer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery through the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, the health belief model, the perceived value theory, and the trust theory. First, a questionnaire was administered to 500 respondents in Singapore, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings show that technology and health belief constructs have direct impacts on the perceived value of crowdsourced delivery, while perceived value has direct and indirect effects on consumer loyalty through trust. Overall, this study contributes to the literature theoretically and practically by developing a paradigm for understanding the growth of customer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery from the perspectives of consumers and health beliefs. It also offers operators and policymakers concrete areas for improvement in resource allocation, security, and marketing to increase overall consumer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery. © 2023 The Authors
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Initiatives for marine conservation are funded by revenue from marine sites. However, the emergence of COVID-19 has restricted travelling, thus leading to decreased revenue and weakening conservation efforts. Virtual reality technology to support marine conservation efforts is explored as it allows users to experience marine sites, without having to be there physically. This study examines factors influencing users' desire to adopt virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. With the integration of Stimulus-Organism-Response framework and three behavioural theories (i.e. health belief model, attitude, and eTrust), a hypothetical model was constructed to investigate consumers' intention to adopt virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism amidst the pandemic. The data were analysed and interpreted using structural equation modelling after 451 survey responses were obtained via an online questionnaire. Outcome expectation, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy, and cues to action exhibit significant positive effects on attitude towards virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. Consequently, attitude has a direct and indirect influence on use intention via eTrust. Post hoc analysis revealed that self-efficacy has a direct impact on eTrust and use intention. Total effect analysis further concluded that attitude has the greatest influence on use intention of virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. This research contributes to the existing literature by utilizing health belief factors to explain use intention of technology towards marine conservation efforts. Recommendations including policy formulation and marketing initiatives were generated for marine ecotourism operators and policymakers. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Five hundred survey responses on consumer acceptance of autonomous delivery robots (ADRs) were collected because the pandemic has increased the emphasis on contactless deliveries, spurring some interest in ADRs to perform last-mile deliveries in urban cities. To examine consumers' intention to adopt ADRs, a comprehensive theoretical model grounded on the Health Belief Model and Task-Technology Fit Model was presented and structural equation modeling was applied to examine the survey data. The analysis revealed that the constructs from both theories have significant effects on outcome expectations and task-technology fit. Additionally, outcome expectations and task-technology fit are strong predictors of consumers' intention, as indicated by their direct and indirect effects. Thus, this study enriches existing research by interpreting consumers' intention to adopt ADRs through health and technology perspectives. It also provides practical implications and policy recommendations for urban planning and design. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Cutting-edge technologies are changing the operations of urban last-mile delivery. In particular, innovative technologies, such as delivery drones, have shown promising results in commercial applications. When considered alongside the ongoing pandemic, contactless technologies have become even more important to the daily lives of consumers in highly urbanized areas. This study investigates underlying factors influencing consumers' acceptance of drone delivery in urban cities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, a model was created by fusing the technology acceptance model, task–technology fit, and privacy calculus theory. Four hundred and fifty survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings suggested that perceived usefulness, attitude, and perceived privacy risks directly influence consumers' behavioral intentions. In addition, perceived ease of use, task characteristics, technology characteristics, task–technology fit, and privacy concerns indirectly impact consumers' behavioral intention. This study offers an insightful perspective on consumers' perception of urban last-mile delivery drones while providing insights into urban transport planning and regulation of drone delivery services. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought severe disruption to the classroom learning, with much of the learning being carried over to the virtual environment. However, for courses with heavy hands-on active and collaborative elements, such activities cannot be easily replaced by pure online teleconference mode of instruction. In this pilot study, we report on a virtual dissection activity that was developed and implemented in an undergraduate year 1 engineering course in thermodynamics and energy systems using a blended synchronous learning environment. Through the analysis of the video capture, worksheet on the online collaborative board, post-activity survey, and observation by the researchers who are not part of the course, we have distilled the affordance and challenges of implementation in this pilot study. In particular, we recognize that the use of virtual dissection activity and virtual collaborative environment are useful for both the on-site and online students to sustain their social and cognitive presence. © 2022 IEEE.
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Introduction The standard of care for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) involves autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Pre-ASCT mobilization chemotherapy for MM, vinorelbine and high dose cyclophosphamide (VC), has been historically given in the inpatient (IP) setting. Due to rising bed occupancy rates and patients' preferences for treatment in the ambulatory setting, our team has offered eligible patients an option to receive VC outpatient (OP) since 2018. Our study aims to audit the feasibility and safety of this initiative, and review potential healthcare-related cost savings. Methods Eligibility criteria for OP chemotherapy were developed by a multidisciplinary team based on patients' age, functional status, medical comorbidities and social factors (Figure 1). The chemotherapy regimen was modified for an OP setting (Figure 2), of which the main alteration involved changing the route of administration of intravenous (IV) mesna to a combination of IV and oral. A retrospective review was conducted for 35 MM patients (18 IP and 17 OP) who received VC for mobilisation at our center from 2018 to 2019. The patient characteristics were similar between the two groups (Table 1). Patient data were analyzed from the day of admission for VC (IP) or day 1 of VC (OP), to the day before admission for stem cell harvesting. Clinical charts were reviewed for unexpected complications and unplanned admissions. Costs incurred were calculated using the value-driven-outcome (VDO) informatics analysis of the hospital. Results There were no unexpected clinical complications or unplanned admissions in both groups. The median length of hospital stay for the IP cohort was 3 days, amounting to a saving of 51 hospital days over 2 years in the OP cohort. Median costs were 73% lower in the OP cohort (Figure 3). The difference was mainly due to certain costs not incurred in the OP setting. These included room charges and daily treatment fees (which accounted for an average of 46% and 19% of IP charges respectively). Investigation costs were also 55% lower in the OP cohort, which could be attributed to more investigations being performed in the IP setting such as screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and nonurgent radiographs ordered after hours by the on-call physician upon admission. Conclusions Our findings show that OP mobilization chemotherapy for MM is safe, feasible and associated with improved bed utilization and cost savings. Other components of the stem cell transplantation process are also increasingly being transitioned from the IP to OP setting in our center as part of an ongoing paradigm shift in right-siting treatment services, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic's strain on inpatient capacity. These results provide an affirmation of our efforts to optimize the utilization of healthcare resources. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Chng: Takeda: Consultancy;GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy;Johnson & Johnson: Consultancy, Research Funding;Aslan: Research Funding;Antengene: Consultancy;Abbvie: Consultancy;Pfizer: Consultancy;Novartis: Research Funding;Sanofi: Consultancy;Amgen: Consultancy;BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding.