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The purpose of this study was to examine how cost, network and technology factors affect the use of mobile technologies for clients’ care in internal medicine department in Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital, the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

The study adopted a survey design covering a cross-section of medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and medical laboratory technologists in the Department of Internal Medicine. A questionnaire guided data collection.

There is a high level of consciousness and use of mobile technologies for meeting healthcare needs of internal medicine clients in the University College Hospital, Ibadan and medical practitioners are deploying the technology most. However, there is no similar evidence of consciousness and use of wearable health-care technologies and solutions. The hospital makes some provision for mobile technology support for relevant medical staff and purposes. However, about three in 10 of the respondents reported that they use their own funds to recharge hospital-provided mobile phones means.

The study focusses only on one institution but the result reflects the situation in other hospitals, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria being the major supplier of health and medical human resources in the country.

The hospital requires undertaking institutional assessment of mobile service need and consumption for clients’ care and thereafter make adequate provision to match the need. Furthermore, the institution could work out various forms of collaboration with mobile technology operators in the country to subsidise the cost of the use of telephones for clients’ care as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The institution could work out collaboration with mobile technology operators in the country to subsidise cost of mobile client care as part of the philanthropic and corporate social responsibility of telecom companies.

This study focusses mainly on internal medicine and has implication for a more proper understanding of adult deployment of mobile phones for client care.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss implications of human-technology interaction in organizational change, especially where mobile phones are introduced to replace paper-based reporting.

The paper employs a case study approach, focusing on implementation of mobile technology for health (mHealth) solutions to support remote data communication, between health facilities and a district health office (DHO), in Malawi.

The findings suggest that mobile phones are relevant to parts of multi-stage tasks such as data reporting, which comprise compilation, transportation, and digitization of data, and delivery of feedback. Consequently, innovation due to the introduction of mobile phones, is found in their interaction with other artefacts (paper, desktop computers, etc.), and existing paper-centric and emerging work practices.

Although lessons from this study could be transported across contexts, practitioners, and researchers should pay particular attention to contextual differences.

In accounting for the mutual shaping between technology and context/work practices the paper demonstrates that mHealth innovation demands significant practical work.

mHealth research is often preoccupied with capabilities of mobile devices. First, the authors account for interaction between artefacts, existing, and emerging use contexts, and the use process, at multiple levels of organization. Through this, the authors argue for a need to seriously consider idiosyncrasies of artefacts and tasks at hand, as well as distributed affordances across artefacts, in mHealth implementations. Second, the authors argue that contrary to the general focus on mobile phones as tools for supporting people on the move, their relevance might actually be found in reducing people’s mobility.

Health is at the center of society concerns, being characterized by the dilemma of contributing to the population well-being, while demanding high financial investments at the same time. In this sense, information technology (IT) becomes essential for the progress of the sector, directly impacting on how care practices are performed. This study aims to analyze the adoption of mobile devices in the mobile emergency care service (MECS) of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The authors carried out a multi-method study with an initial qualitative exploration through a focal group, followed by a survey. Potential determinants and impacts of mobile device use on the work context of the MECS teams were identified. Following, we tested the proposed conceptual model applying a questionnaire to 350 professionals from a total of 160 bases throughout the State. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses herein.

The authors found that Satisfaction with the Use of Mobile PHC (PHC – Primary Health Care) is determined by the application compatibility with MECS work, followed by the performance expectancy with the use of the technology and the technical support provided to the users – acting as important facilitators of this process; while the technological complexity inherent in the use of the technology appears as the main barrier to the success of this technology. Besides, the authors found that both intensity of Use and Satisfaction with the Use of the technology provide different benefits to those involved (teams, patients and the organization).

As limitations of the study, the authors point out to the fact that the data are from a single Brazilian State, and therefore, its results cannot be generalized. Another limitation is that the study considered only the use of a specific mobile technology, which requires caution when using this information in contexts where the health information technology is different, besides the fact that the findings may not be compatible in environments where IT adoption is voluntary.

The study can help managers of public and private organizations in the planning and implementation of different technologies, whether mobile or applied to the health context, as well as in the expansion of their use in their respective institutions.

The research contributes to other studies that realize that the adoption of IT can cause relevant changes to health being associated to productivity gains and improvement of the quality of service provided to society through different forms and solutions.

The adoption and use of IT – such as mobile devices – impacts on how care practices are performed in the MECS, providing different benefits to those involved (teams, patients and the organization).

This study aims to examine the determinants of mobile health technology and applications use intention. The factors are delineated from prior literature and theories of individual traits and adoption characteristics, technology acceptance and health belief.

Data from 409 respondents were collected from Indian participants through a questionnaire survey. The construct “use intention” was measured using individual traits to mobile services, subjective norm, health consciousness, awareness and perceived usefulness, and the model was tested.

The study found that mobile health technology and the applications awareness and personal innovativeness influence intention to use.

Previous studies have often looked at technology adoption and acceptance models separately and are less adequately discussed in the Indian context. The components that determine mobile health technology and the applications’ acceptance by literature and theories of individual traits and adoption characteristics, technology acceptance and health beliefs were also inadequately discussed. The significant contribution of this research also includes policy recommendations for improving mobile health acceptance in India.

Increasingly popular mobile health technology is creating a new paradigm for the delivery of care to patients involving a role of the pharmacist. This study aims to propose a renewed patient–pharmacist relationship in this environment and present an empirical case study investigating the influence of key variables, including the consumer’s attitude toward personalized monitoring performed by the pharmacist, on the intention to adopt a mobile health app. Other drivers identified were ease of use and perceived usefulness of the app, individual and health-related factors (perceived vulnerability and severity of health condition, social norms and innovativeness with technology) and quality of relationship with the pharmacist.

A self-administered online survey was completed by 356 Canadian mobile device owners of more than 40 of age. Analyses were performed using structural equation modeling.

The main factor driving adoption intentions was perceived usefulness followed by the respondent’s innovativeness with technology and perceived vulnerability of his/her health condition. Attitude toward personalized monitoring depends primarily on the relationship with the pharmacist. No relationship was found between adoption intentions and attitude toward personalized monitoring.

This research features a multidisciplinary approach by using variables from relational marketing, information technology and health and inclusion of the pharmacist (vs physician) as a health consultant, offering relevant marketing avenues for pharmacists.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mobile health adoption behaviour of potential adopters and to provide guidelines for mobile health success. This study applied both health behaviour and consumer value research and developed an integrated research model to encourage mobile health adoption.

The authors contacted about 1,800 potential respondents living in Seoul, Korea. The authors used stratified sampling to choose sampling areas and quota sampling to select the final sampling unit. A total of 550 interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using a structural equation modelling technique with linear structural relations.

The results demonstrate that usefulness, convenience and monetary values of mobile health positively influence adoption intention. Convenience and monetary values are strongly perceived by individuals who have experienced illness, but the effect of illness experiences on the usefulness value is insignificant. Gender, age and income do not influence adoption intention.

There is no research yet studies mobile health adoption behaviour in the integrated view of consumer value and the health service research. This integrated adoption model of mobile health can be a response of the calls to develop the mobile health adoption model adapted to the health context and to identify added predictors of the mobile health adoption.

This paper discusses the need for government and healthcare organization to implement mobile phone-based solutions for healthcare during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It also highlights the challenges and/or barriers to the rapid introduction, implementation and management of these and other innovative solutions to health service delivery during the current situation

The data include both qualitative and quantitative, collected from the primary interview-based case study and questionnaire survey. It also uses insights from the general populations, healthcare professionals and health information technology developers to understand the role of a mobile health intervention in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Healthcare professionals and health information technology developers are confident that the use of mobile health technology and applications has the ability to assist in monitoring and controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The key advantages of using mobile phone technology are: increased awareness, improved assistance in tracking and testing casualties, improved assistance in seeking and scheduling health information and medical appointments, increased social distancing, improved overall productivity and quality of life. However, data demonstrated that lack of awareness and accessibility or unwillingness to use the technology, complex healthcare needs, application infrastructure, policies and a dearth of training and support are all barriers to successful implementation of this useful tool.

This research has the potential to make a significant impact on government and healthcare policy through presenting a coherent argument for the importance of designing and deploying mobile health technology and applications for the general population.

prior literature in this domain is inadequate in explaining the importance of mobile phone-based healthcare solutions for health service and during serious disease outbreaks and, in particular, within the Indian context. The findings of this study can be used by government and healthcare organizations to improve health governance during the current global pandemic.

The acceptance of mobile health (m-health) applications, especially those of a preventive nature, by individuals, is not well understood. Despite the benefits offered by m-health applications in improving and sustaining health and well-being through various avenues, widespread adoption is yet to be seen. Within this context, this study aims to reveal the enabling factors and barriers that influence the use of m-health applications among Generation Z (Gen-Z).

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was extended with e-health literacy, trust and enjoyment constructs. Data from a survey study on 312 Gen-Z members were analysed via structural equation modelling, shedding light on the reasons why new generations adopt m-health apps.

The findings indicate that social influence and enjoyment are the most significant factors influencing the use of m-health apps. The significant impact of performance and effort expectancy on intentions was also confirmed by the results. Moreover, privacy risk was identified as a barrier to adoption. The results also indicated that the strong influence of trust on privacy risk can be used to offset those privacy concerns.

The findings highlight that hedonic motivation, which is commonly overlooked in health settings, plays an important role in m-health app use. Thus, promoting mobile app features that provide enjoyment will be influential in attracting the younger generation.

The context of the study differs from the norm and focuses on a regional health tourism hub, Turkey, situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. UTAUT model is modified with relevant constructs, namely, enjoyment, e-health literacy and privacy risk, to better fit the m-health context.

Physicians who are primary care providers in rural communities form an essential stakeholder group in rural mobile health (mHealth) delivery. This study was exploratory in nature and was conducted in Udupi district of Karnataka, India. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of rural medical officers (MOs) (rural physicians) regarding the benefits and challenges of mobile phone use by community health workers (CHWs).

In-depth interviews were conducted among 15 MOs belonging to different primary health centers of the district. Only MOs with a minimum five years of experience were recruited in the study using purposive and snowball sampling. This was followed by thematic analysis of the data collected.

The perceptions of MOs regarding the CHWs' use of mobile phones were largely positive. However, they reported the existence of some challenges that limits the potential of its full use. The findings were categorized under four themes namely, benefits of mobile phone use to CHWs, benefits of mobile phone-equipped CHWs, current mobile phone use by CHWs and barriers to CHWs' mobile phone use. The significant barriers reported in the CHWs' mobile phone use were poor mobile network coverage, technical illiteracy, lack of consistent technical training and call and data expense of the CHWs. The participants recommend an increased number of mobile towers, frequent training in mobile phone use and basic English language for the CHWs as possible solutions to the barriers.

Studies examining the perceptions of doctors who are a primary stakeholder group in mHealth as well as in the public health system scenario are limited. To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to examine the perception of rural doctors regarding CHWs' mobile phone use for work in India.

Gamification unlocks unprecedented opportunities in healthcare, wellness and lifestyle context. In this scenario, by leveraging on such an approach, information technologies now enabled gamification-based mobile applications primarily employed in health and wellness contexts, focusing on areas such as disease prevention, self-management, medication adherence and telehealth programs. The synergistic integration of gamification-based methodologies in conjunction with the utilization of digital tools, (e.g. as for Internet of Things, mobile applications) for the realm of digital therapeutics (DTx), thus unveiled powerful approaches and paradigms, yielding innovative applications that, through the harnessing of sensors and software-based systems, transform healthcare maintenance, wellness and lifestyle into an engaging pursuit, as a game. This paper explores the factors influencing individuals' intention to autonomously utilize mobile gamification-based apps for self-care and wellness maintenance.

Through explorative research designs an experiment has been conducted among a sample of 376 participants regarding the use of a fictitious gamification-based DTx solution, consisting in a mobile app namely “Health'n’Fit”.

Findings from an experiment conducted with a sample of 460 participants shed light on the possible antecedents and consequents of gamification. Results of the SEM model indicate that customization (CU), trust (TR), mobility (MO) and social value (SV) are the main determinants, although at a different extent of the playful experience; Moreover, gamification positively impacts attitudes and, in turn, perceived usefulness, intention to use and behavioral intentions.

This paper offers a dual-pronged approach that holds practical significance in the realm of healthcare innovation. First, the authors delve into the antecedents shaping individuals' intention to engage with gamification-based DTx, unraveling the factors that influence user adoption. Beyond this, the authors extend their focus to the realm of healthcare service design. By harnessing the potential of gamification and technology, the authors illuminate pathways to conceptualize and create novel healthcare services. This work not only identifies the building blocks of user engagement but also serves as a guide to innovatively craft healthcare solutions that leverage this amalgamation of technology and gamification, contributing to the evolution of modern healthcare paradigms.

In a social context, the paper introduces pioneering technological synergies that merge gamification and DTx to enhance individuals' health and wellness maintenance. By proposing innovative combinations, the authors present novel avenues for promoting healthier lifestyles and behavior change. This not only underscores the potential of technology to positively impact individuals but also highlights the significance of aligning technological advancements with societal well-being. As the research advocates for these innovative solutions, it reinforces the importance of collaborative technological and marketing endeavors, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society as a whole.

This is the first paper exploring the combined effect of gamification and DTx, by shedding light on the peculiarities of both the antecedents of individuals' intention to use such combined technologies.