Journal Volume: 9
Journal Number: 1
Article Author: Gillian Strudwick, RN, MN, CVAA (c)

More than 85% of patients in Canada admitted to hospital receive infusion therapy, with most
of these being delivered through an infusion pump. This technology was first introduced to
improve the accuracy of infusions delivered to patients in an effort to enhance the quality of
care provided, and increase patient safety. In more recent years, ”smart” infusion pumps have
been introduced to further improve the safe delivery of intravenous medications through the
introduction of safety software such as drug libraries. In order for the clinical benefits of infusion
pumps to occur, health care professionals need to accept and use these technologies effectively
in their practice. To date, many health care professionals continue to bypass the safety features
of infusion pumps, thus limiting the potential benefits of the technology to patients. This article
will review how a model that predicts technology use, the Technology Acceptance Model, can be
applied to enhance infusion pump use by healthcare professionals. Implications and limitations
of the model are discussed.