Risk of Fear and Anxiety in Utilising Health App Surveillance Due to COVID-19: Gender Differences Analysis

Although technology trends and acceptance have been considered crucial topics, limited research has examined stress-specific factors such as health anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic based on people’s attitudes toward a mobile health app using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Accordingly, this study primarily highlights the psychological determinants stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that affect the usage of a mobile health app. The study followed a cross-sectional design and adopted a snowball sampling technique to collect the data. The findings showed a significant association between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and event-related fear and Tabaud App intention. The relationships between Tabaud App intention and COVID-19 anxiety on Tabaud App usage were also revealed. The study found a significant association between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Additionally, the multi-group analysis showed that only two paths related to Tabaud App intention, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, differed significantly between males and females. Additionally, women experienced anxiety disorders more than men. The study contributes to the previous knowledge on the field by examining the psychological determinants resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that influence using a mobile health app, namely, event-related fear and COVID-19 anxiety. The study results may help governments, health policymakers, and health organisations in Saudi Arabia contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Use of a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Predict Patients’ Usage of a Personal Health Record System: The Role of Security, Privacy, and Usability

Personal health records (PHR) systems are designed to ensure that individuals have access and control over their health information and to support them in being active participants rather than passive ones in their healthcare process. Yet, PHR systems have not yet been widely adopted or used by consumers despite their benefits. For these advantages to be realized, adoption of the system is necessary. In this study, we examined how self-determination of health management influences individuals’ intention to implement a PHR system, i.e., their ability to actively manage their health. Using an extended technology acceptance model (TAM), the researchers developed and empirically tested a model explaining public adoption of PHRs. In total, 389 Saudi Arabian respondents were surveyed in a quantitative cross-sectional design. The hypotheses were analysed using structural equation modelling–partial least squares (SEM-PLS4). Results indicate that PHR system usage was influenced by three major factors: perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), and security towards intention to use. PHR PEOU and PHR intention to use were also found to be moderated by privacy, whereas usability positively moderated PHR PEOU and PHR intention to use and negatively moderated PHR PU and PHR intention to use. For the first time, this study examined the use of personal health records in Saudi Arabia, including the extension of the TAM model as well as development of a context-driven model that examines the relationship between privacy, security, usability, and the use of PHRs. Furthermore, this study fills a gap in the literature regarding the moderating effects of privacy influence on PEOU and intention to use. Further, the moderating effects of usability on the relationship between PEOU, PU, and intention to use. Study findings are expected to assist government agencies, health policymakers, and health organizations around the world, including Saudi Arabia, in understanding the adoption of personal health records