The moderating effect of psychological factors towards the diffusion of a web-based health information service

Abstract

The use of the Internet to retrieve health information is increasingly common and becoming the centre from which an individual acquires knowledge to make informed decisions regarding his health. MyHEALTH Portal (MHP) is a web-based health information service (WBHIS) set up by the Ministry of Health Malaysia as one of the MSC Telehealth Flagship Application in 2005. It is a national initiative by the Malaysian Government to bring great advances to the country through the innovative use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) aims to empower and encourage individuals to be responsible for their health by providing health information and education online. This study is intended to investigate the MHP’s usage and other related factors specifically the psychological factors that influnce its usability using a quantitative research approach. It helps to understand factors that might hinder users from using MHP and inhibit them from making informed decision regarding their health condition. The findings would significantly help relevant parties to analyze the changes that are necessary in order to promote MHP to the mass. A conceptual framework is also developed indicating the key determinants of individual intention to use MHP through the central tenets of Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovations (DoIs) to identify the key critical success factors that influence individuals’ attitude based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) moderated by a psychological factors using the Health Belief Model (HBM).