Title: Reinventing healthcare services through online communities: exploring the key determinants

Authors: Amaresh Panda; Sanjay Mohapatra; Prakash Dash

Addresses: Department of Information System, XIMB – XIM University, Bhubaneswar, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, 751010, Odisha, India ' Department of Information System, XIMB – XIM University, Bhubaneswar, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, 751010, Odisha, India ' Department of Business Management, Mahendra Institute of Management and Technical Studies (MIMTS), Pitapalli, Bhubaneswar, 752050, Odisha, India

Abstract: With the evolution of technology and the availability of advanced service delivery approaches, usage preference regarding the healthcare industry is changing. Technology has converted patient's roles from treatment seeker to health information contributor. Looking at the vast population of India, it is adequate to incorporate technology and use advanced technological features, which will make it easy, quick and transparent for users. Integration between biology and technology with the help of internet features changes the face of traditional treatment practices. It enables users to collaborate to share information, seek consultation, develop social bonding and carry research to fight critical health conditions. The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to change the way it has been operating and be more technology-friendly. Wide usage of information systems with the evolution of internet technology is continuously adding new outlooks to the legacy treatment practices. These new outlooks are the combined reflection of certain key factors, which are essential from both users as well as service provider perspective. This study aims to systematically evaluate all these vital factors and understand their roles in effective healthcare delivery.

Keywords: online healthcare community; OHC; healthcare service offerings; COVID-19; virtual care practices.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENM.2022.125810

International Journal of Enterprise Network Management, 2022 Vol.13 No.3, pp.286 - 302

Received: 23 Feb 2021
Accepted: 03 Apr 2021
Published online: 29 Sep 2022 *

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