Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease. Negative perceptions and insufficient knowledge have made its eradication difficult. Recently, mobile health care interventions, such as an anti-TB chatbot developed by the research team, have emerged in support of TB eradication programs. However, before the anti-TB chatbot is deployed, it is important to understand the factors that predict its acceptance by the population. Objective: This study aims to explore the acceptance of an anti-TB chatbot that provides information about the disease and its treatment to people vulnerable to TB in South Korea. Thus, we are investigating the factors that predict technology acceptance through qualitative research based on the interviews of patients with TB and homeless facility personnel. We are then verifying the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and predicting the factors associated with the acceptance of the chatbot. Methods: In study 1, we conducted interviews with potential chatbot users to extract the factors that predict user acceptance and constructed a conceptual framework based on the TAM. In total, 16 interviews with patients with TB and one focus group interview with 10 experts on TB were conducted. In study 2, we conducted surveys of potential chatbot users to validate the extended TAM. Survey participants were recruited among late-stage patients in TB facilities and members of web-based communities sharing TB information. A total of 123 responses were collected. Results: The results indicate that perceived ease of use and social influence were significantly predictive of perceived usefulness (P=.04 and P<.001, respectively). Perceived usefulness was predictive of the attitude toward the chatbot (P<.001), whereas perceived ease of use (P=.88) was not. Behavioral intention was positively predicted by attitude toward the chatbot and facilitating conditions (P<.001 and P=.03, respectively). The research model explained 55.4% of the variance in the use of anti-TB chatbots. The moderating effect of TB history was found in the relationship between attitude toward the chatbot and behavioral intention (P=.01) and between facilitating conditions and behavioral intention (P=.02). Conclusions: This study can be used to inform future design of anti-TB chatbots and highlight the importance of services and the environment that empower people to use the technology.

Assistive technology plays an important role in facilitating independent living and a high quality of life for older adults and people with disabilities, who depend on the provision of customized assistive devices for various physical functions. Technological advances such as 3D printers have facilitated responses to some of these needs; however, the lack of relevant policies, information, and services makes proper use of these facilities difficult. Therefore, the National Rehabilitation Center established the AT Open Platform—an open-source sharing platform for AT. The AT Open Platform revitalized the customized assistive device industry by using appropriate advanced technologies. In the AT Open Platform, older adults and those with disabilities propose needs, developers develop solutions for these needs and share products as open sources, and manufacturers provide services for older adults and those with disabilities using open sources. Having these various stakeholders interacting on one platform requires high usability. In this study, the usability of open platforms was evaluated by categorizing each stakeholder (idea proposer, developer, and maker); efficiency was evaluated by thematic think-aloud analysis; effectiveness was evaluated by task analysis; and satisfaction was evaluated using the System Usability Scale and the e-government website UI/UX quality evaluation table. Additionally, the functions, content, and visual designs of the open platforms were evaluated. Through this investigation, we suggested ways to improve open-source assistive device websites to meet the needs of each stakeholder. We expect that this open platform with improved usability will improve user accessibility and make it easier to find and use assistive devices that are essential in daily life.

The Assistive Technology (AT) Open Platform supports people with disabilities, older people, and developers in co-creating new assistive products outside the business realm. To address dissatisfaction with and non-adoption of commercial assistive products, the National Rehabilitation Centre in South Korea created an AT Open Platform as an open-source AT sharing platform to research and develop appropriate assistive technology suitable for users' needs. The emerging concept of AT Open Platform is new for both assistive product users and developers in South Korea. The Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) was utilised to understand the factors influencing the adoption of the AT Open Platform and to gain further insights on its design and future use. Interviews were conducted with six potential AT Open Platform users to develop a questionnaire for predicting behavioural intention. Subsequently, we surveyed 175 potential users to validate the UTAUT2. The results revealed that behavioural intention was significantly predicted by social influence, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, and hedonic motivation. The AT Open Platform should focus on both online and offline platforms to educate and facilitate the co-creation of ATs for assistive product users and makers. This study, which targeted assistive product users and developers, has significant implications for policymakers and future research in using and adopting the AT Open Platform as it reflects the actual voices of the platform's stakeholders.

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease. Negative perceptions and insufficient knowledge have made its eradication difficult. Recently, mobile health care interventions, such as an anti-TB chatbot developed by the research team, have emerged in support of TB eradication programs. However, before the anti-TB chatbot is deployed, it is important to understand the factors that predict its acceptance by the population. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the acceptance of an anti-TB chatbot that provides information about the disease and its treatment to people vulnerable to TB in South Korea. Thus, we are investigating the factors that predict technology acceptance through qualitative research based on the interviews of patients with TB and homeless facility personnel. We are then verifying the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and predicting the factors associated with the acceptance of the chatbot. METHODS In study 1, we conducted interviews with potential chatbot users to extract the factors that predict user acceptance and constructed a conceptual framework based on the TAM. In total, 16 interviews with patients with TB and one focus group interview with 10 experts on TB were conducted. In study 2, we conducted surveys of potential chatbot users to validate the extended TAM. Survey participants were recruited among late-stage patients in TB facilities and members of web-based communities sharing TB information. A total of 123 responses were collected. RESULTS The results indicate that perceived ease of use and social influence were significantly predictive of perceived usefulness (P=.04 and P<.001, respectively). Perceived usefulness was predictive of the attitude toward the chatbot (P<.001), whereas perceived ease of use (P=.88) was not. Behavioral intention was positively predicted by attitude toward the chatbot and facilitating conditions (P<.001 and P=.03, respectively). The research model explained 55.4% of the variance in the use of anti-TB chatbots. The moderating effect of TB history was found in the relationship between attitude toward the chatbot and behavioral intention (P=.01) and between facilitating conditions and behavioral intention (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS This study can be used to inform future design of anti-TB chatbots and highlight the importance of services and the environment that empower people to use the technology.

This study aimed to explore the key factors to consider when developing and sharing open-source assistive technology (AAT). To this end, the sip-and-puff mouse was selected from development requests submitted to the Korean Assistive Technology Open Platform. In this study, the sip-and-puff mouse was developed, applied, and shared as an open-source AAT for individuals with disabilities. The research was conducted based on usability feedback collected from five participants through three usability evaluations. During the usability evaluations, task performance scores and time taken were measured, and questionnaires were completed. Following the second usability evaluation, a diary study on long-term usage was conducted. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, and paired t-tests were performed using SPSS 22.0. Thematic analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti. Based on the integrated qualitative and quantitative findings, practical design directions for user-centered open-source assistive technology were identified, including user and environmental matching, customization, durability, supporting documentation, use-error management, and participatory development. The results of this study are expected to contribute to improving the usability of customized open-source assistive technology (AAT) through a participatory design approach. Highly usable open-source AATs will help to make AATs more widely utilized in the daily living activities of the elderly and people with disabilities.

국내 장애인 보조기기의 개발은 보조기기의 기능 구현에 초점이 가 있으며 보조기기의 사용성에 대한 고려가 부족한 실정이다. 국내 영세한 보조기기 산업의 국제 경쟁력 확보를 위해서는 보조기기의 기능뿐 아니라 사용에 대한 고려가 필요할 것이다. 이러한 국제 경쟁력 확보를 위한 국가 차원의 지원 대책은 보조기기와 보조기기 산업 관련 법률과 규격에 대한 제·개정으로 부터 시작한다고 본다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 국내 장애인 보조기기 관련 법률과 보조기기 관련 규격 및 지침에 대해 사용성이라는 프레임을 통해 분석하였다. 이를 위해, 본 연구에서 사용하는 보조기기의 사용성, 사용품질을 정의하고, 관련 이론적 배경을 통해 국내 장애인 보조기기 관련 법률로 장애인복지법, 보조기기 지원법을 살펴보았다. 이러한 보조기기 관련 법률의 현황을 바탕으로 국내 장애인 보조기기 관련 규격 중 사용성과 관련이 있는 규격과 지침을 3가지를 선정하고, 그 규격과 지침의 지향성을 Hancock의 인간 공학적, 쾌락적 욕구 위계로 분석하였다. 현재 국내에는 보조기기의 특성을 고려하여 보조기기만을 위한 사용성 규격 및 지침은 없다. 하지만 장애인 사용자를 대상으로 하는 제품군인 보조기기 사용성에 대한 규격 및 지침은 그 특성에 맞는 내용으로 구성되어 만들어져야 할 것이고, 해당 법규정과 관련 가이드라인은 특히나 사용자의 특성과 사용 맥락을 고려하여 장애인 개인의 일상생활 용품으로서의 사용성 증진을 도모할 수 있는 내용으로 구성되어야 할 것이다.