Acceptance of e-Health Technology

Abstract

It can be considered a known fact that the number of elderly people will increase during the coming years. According to the most recent predications, this so-called silvering society will not only affect and increase the demand for health care, but also the supply side of health care, since health care professionals themselves will retire with increasing numbers in the near future. As possible part of a solution for this issue patients could be enabled to use so-called e-health self-management in order to manage their (chronic) disease in their own environment. This way, patients can stay in contact with the health care professional while taking on specific parts of their therapy by means of information and communication technology (ICT). Not only can e-health increase the wellbeing of patients, also the pressure on the health care system can be somewhat relieved. This research has investigated the most relevant factors that can have an effect on patients’ acceptance of these e-health services. One of the outcomes is that not only patients’ performance expectancy of e-health services, but also their perceived quality of care and their highest education influence their acceptance of e-health. As for future research, this study recommends additional research on patients’ acceptance over prolonged time (longitudinal). Furthermore, considering the increasing freedom of choice with regard to not only health care insurance policies buth also preferred therapies and hospitals, the understanding on ‘patient satisfaction’ should be improved. Especially the way in which patients come to a judgement based upon their experiences is essential considering the increased relevance of patient satisfaction.