Factors influencing consumer intention to adopt Consumer Health Informatics applications an empirical study in Malaysia

Abstract

Over recent years an increasing number of healthcare applications have been developed, including Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) applications which are designed to interact directly with consumers. CHI applications can enable consumers to track their health status and to actively participate in treatment regimens and preventive strategies. Hence they have an immense potential to enable consumers to take better care of their health. We report findings from a recent empirical study about factors which influence consumers' intention to adopt CHI applications. First, we propose a theoretical model that draws upon various factors from the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. We validated the model using an online questionnaire with 165 respondents. The findings indicate that the factors Hedonic Motivation, Perceived Ease of Use and Performance Expectancy have a positive linear relationship with the intention to adopt CHI applications. Identification of these socio-technical factors can help application developers and healthcare stakeholders to comprehend essential consumer requirements. © 2015 IEEE.