The Development of an Evaluation Model for the Acceptability of Health Information Websites

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study suggested a newly developed research model, which is based on TAM(Technology Acceptance Model), to empirically and theoretically verify the acceptance behavior of the internet users for the health website, as the availability of health information through the Internet is rapidly increasing. In this proposed model: the Subjective Norm, the Output Quality, and the Perceived Playfulness were used as the independent variables; TAM variables, including the Perceived Usefulness, the Perceived Ease of Use, the Attitude Toward Use, and the Behavioral Intention were used as the mediator variables; and the Actual Use and the Website Loyalty were used as the dependent variables to measure the individual user's acceptance of the health website. METHOD: The members of the Health Guide(http://www.healthguide.or.kr), who received a flyer through the LISTSERV of it, were eligible to participate in this study. The proposed research model was tested employing the SEM (Structural Equation Model) to empirically verify the hypotheses. RESULTS: The results of the CFA(Confirmatory Factor Analysis) demonstrated that all the measurements fit the data well. Each of the hypotheses was also tested in the structural model. The study results were as follows: First, the subjective norm affected the continuous intention to use of the website(Website Loyalty); Second, the output quality was the significant key factor to positively affect the perceived playfulness, the perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use, and the website loyalty perceptions. Most of the hypotheses from the original model of TAM were supported; Third, the behavioral intention significantly affected the actual use and the website loyalty; Fourth, the mediating effect of the TAM constructs was significant; Fifth, men were highly acceptable to the health information website than women. The acceptance of the health professional's acceptance of the health website were higher than that of those who in any other profession. CONCLUSION: In the healthcare area, a few studies have evaluated health consumer's information and technology acceptance within a theoretical framework. Therefore, the approach to extend TAM in healthcare is worthy of examination to evaluate health consumer's acceptance of the health website.