What is Self-Service Technology

Self-Service Technologies (SSTs) enable consumers to produce services independent of direct employee involvement. The successful introduction of SSTs into healthcare and the realisation of their benefits will however lie in their acceptance by patients. This chapter outlines the advantages and disadvantages of one type of SST, namely self-service hospital kiosks, and presents results of an empirical study carried out on the willingness of patients to use them. Data was collected from 192 patients attending two private healthcare clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa. Results show that patients are most willing to use kiosk technologies for administrative rather than diagnostic or treatment-related services. Moreover, the authors find that technology anxiety, self-efficacy beliefs, trust, and need for interaction are important antecedents to the formulation of performance and effort expectancies and the willingness of patients to use kiosk technology. Results have implications for healthcare providers looking to improve the success of their SST applications.