Information Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2024
Abstract
This study significantly contributes to both theory and practice by providing valuable insights into the role and value of healthcare in the context of online health communities. This study highlights the increasing dependence of patients and their families on online sources for health information and the potential of technology to support individuals with health information needs. This study develops a theoretical framework by analyzing data from a cross-sectional survey using partial least squares structural equation modeling and multi-group and importance-performance map analysis. The findings of this study identify the most beneficial technology-related issues, like ease of site navigation and interaction with other online members, which have important implications for the development and management of online health communities. Healthcare professionals can also use this information to disseminate relevant information to those with chronic illnesses effectively. This study recommends proactive engagement between forum admins and participants to improve technology use and interaction, highlighting the benefits of guidelines for effective technology use to enhance users' information-seeking processes. Overall, this study's significant contribution lies in its identification of factors that aid online health community participants in the information-seeking process, providing valuable information to professionals on using technology to disseminate information relevant to chronic illnesses like COPD.
Recommended Citation
Boyce, L., Harun, A., Prybutok, G., & Prybutok, V. R. (2024). The Role of Technology in Online Health Communities: A Study of Information-Seeking Behavior. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(3), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030336
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Healthcare
DOI
10.3390/healthcare12030336
Comments
Copyright © 2024 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).