Chapter 8 Factors influencing the adoption of mobile health apps in the UAE

Document Type

Book Chapter

Source of Publication

Digital Transformation in Healthcare in Post-Covid-19 Times

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Increasing technology use has led to an increase in mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps). Users are adopting these applications for many reasons related to acceptance and gamification; however, there still needs to be a consensus on which factors most affect user adoption. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, this study examines the factors influencing the acceptance of mHealth technology. We collected data from 198 United Arab Emirate users who had previously used mHealth apps to improve their self-healthcare. The findings suggested that the intention of using this technology is positively influenced by: (1) the levels of performance expectancy and facilitating conditions concerning the use, (2) the level of gamification impact, and (3) the degree of personal innovativeness in the simple design of mHealth apps. These findings extend the theoretical concept of the UTAUT model in mobile healthcare technology. The value of the study lies in constructing an integrated digital transformation model that will assist healthcare companies in comprehending the influence of available resources and lead them to invest significantly in the incumbent digital infrastructure. The findings shall help healthcare practitioners identify critical drivers and key challenges faced by stakeholders concerning mobile health app use in an emerging Arab country that has the vision to improve its healthcare through digital transformation.

ISBN

9780323983532

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

Informatics 4 1 2017

First Page

133

Last Page

156

Disciplines

Computer Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

Mobile health, mHealth, Smartphone, Mobile apps/applications, Global health, Chronic diseases, Gamification, Personal innovativeness, United Arab Emirates

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

no

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