Factors that influence public engagement with eHealth: a literature review

Hardiker, NR and Grant, MJ 2011, 'Factors that influence public engagement with eHealth: a literature review' , International Journal of Medical Informatics, 80 (1) , pp. 1-12.

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Abstract

Purpose: Public engagement with eHealth is generally viewed as beneficial. However, despite the potential benefits, public engagement with eHealth services remains variable. This article explores reasons for this variability through a review of published international literature. Methods: A focused search, conducted in January 2009, of three bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE, returned 2622 unique abstracts. Results: Fifty articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. Four main types of eHealth service were identified: health information on the Internet; custom-made online health information; online support; and telehealth. Public engagement with these services appears to depend on a number of factors: characteristics of users; technological issues; characteristics of eHealth services; social aspects of use; and eHealth services in use. Conclusions: Recommendations for policy makers, developers, users and health professionals, include: targeting efforts towards those underserved by eHealth; improving access; tailoring services to meet the needs of a broader range of users; exploiting opportunities for social computing; and clarifying of the role of health professionals in endorsement, promotion and facilitation.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Subjects / Themes > Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA075 Electronic computers. Computer science Subjects / Themes > R Medicine Health and Wellbeing Subjects outside of the University Themes
Schools:	Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Applied Research in Health, Welfare and Policy Schools > School of Health and Society
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Medical Informatics
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1386-5056
Depositing User:	NR Hardiker
Date Deposited:	07 Dec 2010 10:23
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2022 10:35
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/12152

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