Barriers to Adoption of Consumer Health Informatics Applications for Health Self-Management

Abstract

Healthcare systems in many developed countries are rapidly approaching a crisis point, due to an aging population, an increase of chronic diseases, healthcare costs consuming an increasing share of the government expenditure, and the dwindling pool of healthcare professionals. One solution to address these challenges is to empower health consumers to better manage their health. Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) applications can enable users to track their health status and to actively participate in treatment regimens and preventive strategies. However, in spite of their immense potential in empowering patient to take charge of their healthcare, many challenges remain in the design and use of CHI applications. In this study, we investigate the barriers that hinder effective usage of CHI applications for health self-management. Results indicate that the primary barriers to self-management via CHI applications resulted from privacy and security concerns and cost. The barriers to self-management identified in this study are amenable to novel CHI applications that could improve health outcomes.