Factors that influence pharmaceutical industry stakeholders behavioral intentions to use social media that influence decision making for healthcare

Abstract

The aim of the research was to investigate the industry-related factors and their influences on behavioural intention with regard to the acceptance and use of social media for providing increased healthcare care to society, and supporting the decision-making processes of patients, pharmacists and physicians in the pharmaceutical industry in Kuwait, with regard to the healthcare needs of society. The key rationale and motivation for undertaking this research was to understand the industry-related factors that influence the behavioural intention to use social media discussion forums by people making decisions related to healthcare. It also examined how social media is used as a means of providing knowledge and awareness about the ways in which social health and the well-being of people can be increased. The focus of this research had a social motive, to promote the health of people, as opposed to a technology-related consideration. The research study made use of the positivist paradigm, along with the deductive approach to address the research aim and objectives. The data for the research study was collected in three phases. In the first phase, interviews were conducted with nine respondents, who included physicians, pharmacists and customers of the pharmaceutical companies, as an exploratory phase. This was followed by a survey questionnaire in the second phase, the sample size of which was determined as 440. This was also conducted with physicians, pharmacists and customers of the pharmaceutical companies in Kuwait. In the third phase, a final interview was conducted with seven physicians, seven pharmacists and seven customers, using the information gained from them to derive a logical and valid conclusion for the research study. The research findings determined that the four key constructs that influence behavioural intention to use social media discussion forums are: effort expectancy, social influence, performance expectancy and trust, while the five moderators in this regard are gender, age, experience, education level and health condition. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the two pharmaceutical industry-related constructs that influence behavioural intention while using social media discussion forums are: (1) authenticated credibility by industry support and (2) trust. The pharmaceutical industry-related moderators are: (1) educational level, which includes educational stage and medical knowledge, and (2) health conditions. The findings also revealed that the current practice of behavioural intention in respect of social media adoption and usage by pharmaceutical customers (pharmacists, physicians) and consumers in Kuwait highlights the addition of perceived trust as an industry-related construct, and education level and health conditions as the industry-related moderators. The research modified model BIUSF (Behaviour intention to use social media forums) has been developed on the basis of the primary data findings and analysis with respect to the pharmaceutical industry of Kuwait.