Evaluation of e‐health services: user's perspective criteria
Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy
ISSN: 1750-6166
Article publication date: 1 August 2008
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the user's perspective in evaluating e‐health services and to present evaluation criteria that influence users' utilization and satisfaction of e‐health services.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on two lines of studies relating to the behaviour of users of new products or services and on broad examining and critical analysis of the existing evaluations initiatives in e‐governments services generally but also particularly in an e‐health context.
Findings
The paper argues that e‐health services evaluation frameworks should be criteria‐based, while the criteria can be grounded in, and derived from, one or more specific perspectives or theories, and cannot be entirely framed within the bounds of a single theory or perspective. The paper suggests an evaluation framework for e‐health services and provides a set of clear and useful e‐health evaluation criteria that can be accommodated by such a framework.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this paper lies in the absence of empirical validation and examination of the proposed evaluation criteria that have not yet been applied in the fieldwork. Hence, the proposed criteria require an empirical validation which will be performed by the authors in the next stage of this research using a multiple case study strategy and will form the basis for further research.
Practical implications
The proposed evaluation criteria can be used to help achieve better user services utilization, to serve as part of an e‐health evaluation framework, and to address areas that require further attention in the development of future e‐health initiatives.
Originality/value
The paper presents a well‐argued and balanced hierarchy of evaluation criteria that can contribute to an area of research which is still in its infancy in terms of development and management.
Keywords
Citation
Hamid, A. and Sarmad, A. (2008), "Evaluation of e‐health services: user's perspective criteria", Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 243-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/17506160810917945
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited