Title: E-commerce application study and complementary services in the sector of laboratory diagnostics based on consumers' opinion

Authors: Alexios-Patapios Kontis, Konstantinos Siassiakos, Georgios Kaimakamis, Athina Lazakidou

Addresses: University of Aegean, B. Ipirou 42, GR-21200, Argos, Greece. ' Department of Logistics, Technological Educational Institute of Chalkida, GR-32200, Thiva, Greece. ' Department of Logistics, Technological Educational Institute of Chalkida, GR-32200, Thiva, Greece. ' Department of Nursing, Faculty of Human Movement and Quality of Life Sciences, University of Peloponnese, GR-23100, Sparti, Greece

Abstract: The field of the Laboratory Diagnostics (in vitro), a sector of the field of health services, constitutes an industrial market that includes activities of research, development, production and products distribution that are designated for laboratory use. These products are defined as techno-medical products including various categories of products such as simple medicines, advanced technological systems, etc. Despite the high performance, the enlargement and the increasing trends of the field, it is not recorded the expected progress in the methods and the ways of promotion, trading and supporting of these products in the market. The present paper aims at the investigation of the consumers| opinion and the specification of those services that are possible to be implemented in electronic services and commerce for a strongly competitive advantage for the enterprises of the sector. The analysis of the findings from the Consumer Purchase Decision Centres (CPDC) shows how important it is to implement web-based applications in the proposed services.

Keywords: e-commerce; electronic commerce; personalisation; marketing; distribution channels; consumers; operational research; laboratory diagnostics; techno-medical products.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2010.036212

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2010 Vol.5 No.4, pp.425 - 436

Published online: 29 Oct 2010 *

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