Factors Affecting Intention to Use Smartphone Healthcare Applications

This was a descriptive survey to determine the intention of users to use smartphone healthcare applications (SHAs) and to clarify factors that may influence such intention. The data were collected during the month of April in 2015, using a structured self-report questionnaire that was distributed to 300 participants aged 20 to 70 years; 285 complete copies were used for the final analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. First, according to the results, the average intention to use SHAs was 3.28 out of 5, which varied according to age, final education, economy level, vacation, current disease, total period of smartphone use, and etc. Second, significant correlations were shown by exercise behavior, dietary management behavior, stress management, satisfaction with smartphone use, and satisfaction with using SHAs. Third, the explanatory power of the predictive model involving all general, health-related, smartphone use-related, and SHA use-related factors was 45.5%; and the economic level, interest, status, and awareness satisfaction of patients using SHA were identified to be the main influential factors. The results indicate that SHA developers need to put efforts into improving consumers' app recognition and to develop plans in provoking consumers' interests to increase the use of SHAs.