In recent years there has been growing the concern with issues related to health care, both its delivery and costing and this is likely to increase in the future. This can be partially explained by demographic changes, such as an increased life expectancy amongst the older population balanced by a decrease in the rate of birth, which leads to an increase of expenses without the necessary tax base to support it. One major change which can help address this challenges is the fact that people are now more interested in knowing about and managing their health. Many are no longer satisfied to remain passive recipients of health information from their doctors. Instead they actively seek information about their health conditions and wish to be more involved in decision-making regarding those conditions. Online health information portals have the potential to provide that information and in doing so empower the individual, thereby assisting them in more effective participation in the management of their health conditions.
As is the case with any technology, including that of online health portals, the effectiveness of a technology is determined in the first instance by its diffusion and adoption by a critical mass of individuals. Just as the diffusion process does not take the form of a simple behavioural equation, the development of a technological innovation does not ensure its adoption. The adoption process is a dynamic process influenced by multiple variables including innovation characteristics, adopter characteristics, perceptual dynamics, communication channels and the social context. For example, the literature provides ample evidence that the individual’s acceptance of an innovative technology is determined by their internal beliefs and attitudes regarding the technology (e.g. Benbasat and Dexter, 1986). Consequently, considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the beliefs that exert the most influence on user intentions to use, and actual use of, that technology. Similarly, studies have shown that the consumer’s beliefs regarding the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of a technical innovation influence their intentions and actual use of the innovation. The latter belief exerts the strongest influence on consumer behaviour. The fact that the perceived usefulness of an innovation influences the consumer’s adoption behaviour points to the need to understand and satisfy consumer needs. In fact, researchers consider that when an alignment between the technology and the market need is achieved, the perceived risk and uncertainty inherent in product design are low and there is little difficulty in communicating the product concept to others (Leonard-Barton and Doyle, 1996).
Moreover, innovation adoption exists within the context of social structure and associated conformative pressures. Therefore, if the innovation is not perceived as being congruent with the cultural values and social structure of the society, it is unlikely to be successfully adopted. Consequently, the fact that the innovation has been accepted and adopted by influential others must be communicated to potential adopters. In summary, the literature shows that the decision to adopt an innovation is a dynamic process that is influenced by a number of factors. Some of these factors relate to the potential adopter, the characteristics of the innovation, perceived risk, specific beliefs, information sources, and the social system within which the innovation diffuses. However, whether and the degree to which any of these factors influence adoption of online health information portals remains undetermined.
This paper outlines the key factors that influence individuals’ adoption and trust in a number of online health portals. A model is proposed which will be operationalized and tested in both Brazil and Ireland. That model, which is based on the UTAUT model, includes dimensions of technology adoption that have previously not been considered such as community vitality. The main contribution of this study lies in the fact that it will provide educators, clinicians, policy makers and those involved in the provision of online health information the insights necessary to improve patient adoption and participation in online health information portals, thereby increasing their effectiveness and in parallel contributing to improved patient health.
References
Benbasat, I. and Dexter, A.S. (1986), ‘An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Color and Graphical Presentation under Varying Time Constraints’, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 10 (1) pp. 59-84.
Leonard-Barton, D., and Doyle, J.L. (1996), ‘Commercializing Technology: Imaginative Understanding of User Needs’, In R.S. Rosenbloom and W.J. Spencer (Eds.), Engines of Innovation, Harvard Business School Press, Boston pp. 177- 207.
healthcare, technology adoption, online communities, community vitality, trust
