Medical Students’ Acceptance of Digital Entrustable Professional Activities: Results of a Cohort Study

Background: Digital entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in simulated environments may accelerate competency acquisition, but adoption depends on learner acceptance. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) posits that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) shape attitudes (AT) and, in turn, behavioral intention (BI). Objective: This study aimed to examine medical students' acceptance of digital EPAs and to test the hypothesized TAM relationships among PU, PEU, AT, and BI. Methods: Clinical-phase medical students at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich completed a TAM-based survey (7-point Likert scales) after reading a canonical analog EPA and its digital counterpart. Confirmatory analyses comprised bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions testing TAM paths. Exploratory analyses comprised paired-sample two-tailed t tests comparing analog versus digital ratings and path modeling to evaluate global TAM fit. Results: Between 70 and 72 medical students provided complete, usable responses, depending on the construct. Mean ratings were favorable (≈5/7). Internal consistency was acceptable (ω=.67-.80). Within the digital EPAs, PU strongly predicted AT (β=.59; P