E-healthcare system design: a consumer preference approach
by Zhiping Walter, Y. Alex Tung
International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (IJHTM), Vol. 4, No. 1/2, 2002

Abstract: Providing healthcare and related services through the world wide web, or e-healthcare, is an emerging phenomenon. To implement e-healthcare strategy successfully, a careful study of consumers' information needs is crucial. This paper reports our survey research, in which we sought opinions on the importance of various features. Our findings indicate that consumers view features related to consumer self-education via an e-healthcare website as most important, followed by features related to efficiency. Improved communications and timely services, with no statistically significant differences between the two, are both viewed as less important features than efficiency. Self-diagnosis and self-test tools come in last in the preference list. Given the proliferation of online healthcare information in general, the high importance given by participants to features related to self-education, calls for involvement of healthcare providers in certifying, endorsing, or providing quality healthcare information. The low importance assessed to self-diagnosis and self-test tools cautions those who are considering implementing these tools. The survey questionnaire can be accessed via http://opim.sba.uconn.edu/zwalter/ehealth/

Online publication date: Mon, 30-Jun-2003

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (IJHTM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com