E-loyalty towards a cancer information website: applying a theoretical framework

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Science
• Cancer Care Research

Background:

• Cancer patients and caregivers require reliable online information throughout treatment.
• Optimizing cancer information websites is crucial for user engagement and e-loyalty.
• Understanding user perceptions is key to improving digital health resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate user perceptions of cancer information websites.
• To determine the relationship between user perceptions and e-loyalty.
• To identify factors influencing user trust and satisfaction with online cancer resources.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 63 cancer patients and 202 informal caregivers using a questionnaire.
• Assessed user perceptions: efficiency, effectiveness, active trust, and enjoyment.
• Employed structural equation modeling to analyze relationships with e-loyalty.

Main Results:

• User perceptions of efficiency, effectiveness, active trust, and enjoyment were generally positive.
• Effectiveness and enjoyment positively influenced e-loyalty, mediated by active trust.
• Efficiency also showed a positive relationship with e-loyalty, with high explained variance (R²=0.70).

Conclusions:

• User perceptions are critical for e-loyalty in cancer information websites, mirroring e-commerce findings.
• High information needs drive the positive link between efficiency and e-loyalty.
• Cancer information websites must prioritize easy information access and search functionality.