Consumer Adoption of Health Information Systems

At nearly 18 percent of the country\u27s GDP, the U.S. healthcare industry continues to wrestle with growing cost and a quality of care that does not match the increased spending. The dominant focus to date has been on promoting Health IT (HIT) system implementation and digitizing health records at the provider\u27s end, with scant attention to the role of the patient in the healthcare process. The source of inefficiency in the healthcare system is not only on account of shortcomings at the provider\u27s end but also due to non-compliance (such as failing to adhere to medication advice and follow-up visits) at the patient\u27s end. Because of this two-fold inefficiency, recent focus has been on engaging the patient to jointly work with the physicians in managing their health and wellness. There are several health related IT applications (popularly called as health apps) and online health communities directly targeted at the consumer for aiding self-management of one\u27s health and wellness. However, widespread adoption and usage of these systems by consumers is yet to happen, which underscores the need for a systematic study to identify the factors that drive consumer adoption and usage of these HIT systems. This dissertation focuses on the mechanisms underlying consumer adoption and usage of HIT systems through three essays. Together the three essays advance our knowledge of the factors that underlie consumer adoption and usage of HIT systems and the interventions through which adoption and usage of these systems can be further enhanced. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed. Future research that builds on the findings of this dissertation research will not only advance theory but also significantly impact policies that guide IT driven consumer health and wellness initiatives