attitudes towards acceptance of mhealth in an institute of technology in chennai, india

3rd International Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT 31st Aug.-1st Sep. 2012 Hyderabad, India

Attitudes towards acceptance of mHealth in an Institute of Technology in Chennai, India John Bosco LourdusamyDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences IIT Madras, Chennai 600 036, INDIA

and K. GanapathyPresident Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation Adjunct Professor IIT Madras and Apollo Hospitals Educational & Research Foundation, Chennai 600006, INDIA


• The study is about awareness levels and willingness to accept a technological service (mobile health) in a situation where that service has not yet been actually introduced

• But the underlying technology (cellular telephony) is widely accepted and used.

• Conducted in premier institute of technology, involved in the creation and transfer of such technology and services.

• The findings point to the greater challenges that need to be surmounted, in far less endowed locales.


• Electronic-survey, involving the institute’s component groups - the teaching faculty, non-teaching staff and a large student community

• No specific or directed mHealth or telemedicine programme in place in the institution

• Almost all the respondents had cell phones and showed different usage patterns (exogenous to health care).

• The institution is also among those, which creates technologies and services specifically for rural use


Why such a study and what are the lessons:An institution (being part of a larger network of institutional structures involved in technology production and transfer) should, wherever possible, try to study the possible ramifications of its effort in its own backyard - however different from or similar it might be, to the intended target population.

The results of such a study may offer some useful clues, for the intended external outreach programmes

Such ‘attitudes/needs analysis’ studies should be done in the intended external locale itself before starting even a pilot programme so that it (pilot) can be launched more efficiently.


the ultimate touchstone would be the social milieu – hence continued and more attention should be given to this dimension

There is tremendous diffusion with regard to part of the technology and service (cell phone device and basic telephony) but one hits the rock when it comes to more substantive (and importantly, pertinent) services. The combination of suitability, relative advantage (including cost) and complexity has to be constantly fine-tuned to achieve a favourable equilibrium status


There is much that needs to be done through the media and social work agencies, beyond the technologies and service options offered by mHealth and its professionals.

attitudes towards acceptance of mhealth in an institute of technology in chennai, india

Documents

transforming healthcare

rd international conference

technology production

indiathe study

telemedicine programme

intended external outreach

intended external locale

pilot programme