1 Technology Innovation in the Health Center: On-Site Self-Service Technology and the Patient Experience Millie A. Harrison, M.A., Doctoral Student, Moody College of Communication, millieharrison@utexas.edu | 256.762.3143 Nicole Murry, RN, BSN, Doctoral Candidate, School of Nursing Ana L. Herrera, M.P.H., Doctoral Student, College of Education Keri K. Stephens, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Associate Director, UT Center for Health Communication, Moody College of Communication Terri Sabella, RN BSN, JD, Doctoral Student, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, School of Public Health - Management, Policy, and Community Health, and Chief Operating Officer & Chief Nursing Officer CommUnityCare Purpose: Self-service technologies (SSTs) are part of the everyday experience. On a normal day, you may visit the ATM, go through the express self-service check out at the grocery store, or utilize the bag-check kiosk at the airport. In recent years, SSTs have been incorporated into health centers across the country, but the utility and impact of these on-site technology services have yet to be explored. Thus, using a grounded theory approach, our study aims to understand the following: (1) factors that affect decisions to use healthcare SST; (2) patient perceptions of healthcare SST; and (3) consequences of healthcare SST use. Keywords: self-service technology (SST); technology acceptance; uses and gratifications; meaningful use; health information technology This study develops a comprehensive understanding of the use, perceptions, and impact of self-service technologies (SSTs) in a healthcare organization. SSTs are technologies that allow consumers to complete a service task independently (Dabholkar & Bagozzi, 2002). SSTs have been explored, using quantitative methods, in many service organizations, such as banks (Curran & Meuter, 2005), supermarkets (Wang, Harris, & Patterson, 2012), and airports (Abdelaziz, Hegazy, & Elabbassy, 2010; Liljander et al., 2006; Meuter et al., 2003). However, SSTs have yet to be explored in a healthcare context, despite their growing presence. Thus, there is a clear opportunity for researchers to explore SSTs in a health context and gain in-depth knowledge of the process and meaning of SST use. Our research aims are threefold: (1) Identify factors that affect decisions to use the healthcare SST; (2) Understand patient perceptions of the SST; and (3) Ascertain the consequences of using the SST. While the goal of qualitative research is to develop new theory (Charmaz, 2006), our study is grounded in the technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989; Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989; Venkatesh & Davis, 2000), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Ventakesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003), uses and gratifications theory