Factors influencing individuals’ personal health information privacy concerns. A study in Ghana

ABSTRACT

With advances in digitization, there have been heightened concerns about online privacy in developing countries, in particular, the privacy of personal health information (PHI) as these are shared among various stakeholders. To understand these concerns, this study explores the impacts of individuals’ characteristics, experiences, and perceptions on PHI privacy concerns (PHIPC) in the healthcare setting of a developing country, Ghana. Using data from 276 individuals, the results show individuals are less concerned about PHI collection, but more concerned about the management of their PHI once it is collected (e.g. errors, secondary use, and unauthorized use). The results further indicate that the factors influencing PHIPC are differentiated for the collection and management of PHI. While gender, age, health status, and privacy risk perceptions impact PHI collection concerns, PHI management concerns are impacted by privacy orientation, computer experience, and trust in healthcare providers. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Personal health information
• privacy concerns
• developing countries
• healthcare
• e-health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ernest K. Adu

Ernest Adu earned his PhD in Information Systems from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) in 2019. His research interests focus on privacy concerns and their implications for the adoption and use of IT innovations.

Annette Mills

Annette Mills is a Professor in Information Systems at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand). She has published in a number of journals including MIS Quarterly, Information and Management, Journal of Knowledge Management, Information Systems Frontiers, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, and Communications of the AIS. She currently serves as a Senior Editor for The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, and IT & People and as Section Editor/Associate Editor for Australian Journal of Information Systems and Journal of Global Information Management. Her research interests include behavioral and social aspects of IS/IT use, user satisfaction and personal information privacy. Annette holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Waikato (New Zealand).

Nelly Todorova

Nelly Todorova is a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand where she teaches Information Systems at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She has published refereed articles in edited books and in journals including International Journal of Knowledge Management, Accounting Education and the Journal of Cases in Information Technology. Her current research interests include motivations for knowledge seeking behavior, IT value creation and health informatics.