RIS ID
8428
Abstract
Investments in computerised information systems in the health industry in evident in most parts of the world. In hospitals and other Healthcare settings, increasingly, hands-on computer use is becoming an important behaviour for effective job perfonnance for health professionals. As the pre-employment (professional) training is provided at a number of different settings the exposure health workers have to computing will vary. Providing training and support to such end-users becomes a complex problem. In addition, based on their prior exposure to computer technology in their work place individuals will have different experiences that make implementation of such systems more complex. Individual psychological characteristics of computer end users have been widely researched and debated in studies in management infonnation systems (MIS), organizational behaviour and educatiol1. From as early as the 1970's researchers sought a better understanding ofindividual psychological characteristics towards computers and its use. Factors that have been implicated most commonly in studies based on health professionals include computer attitude, compiIter anxiety, experience in using computers and user involvement ( Krampf and Robinson, 1984; Moralee et aI., 1993; Henderson et aI., 1995). Computerised information systems in health care settings in most cases are mandatory. Therefore prediction of its use is inconsequential. Based on prior studies, it has been shown that behavioural intention predicts behaviour in voluntary situations (Davis et aI., 1989). Behavioural intention refers to the strength of one's intention to perfonn a specific behaviour (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Studies in business and student settings conducted to ascertain factors that predict behaviour intention to use computer system have identified individual psychological factors to he important. However very few empirical studies have examined these factors in health care settings. In addition there is continued debate and contention ofthe influence ofthese factors in the literature. Given the emerging situation in health care settings of wider implementation of computerised systems the present study was undertaken to test the relationships of these factors to behavioural intention to use computers in a health care setting.
Included in
Arts and Humanities Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons
Publication Details
Jayasuriya, R., Caputi, P. & Yaghmaie, F. (2002). The effect of individual psychological characteristics in the use of Computerised Information Systems. In R. Ribbons, V. Dall & R. Webb (Eds.), HIC 2002 Handbook of Abstracts: Improving quality by lowering barriers (pp. 55-56). Australia: Health Informatics Society of Australia.