Unlocking potential: impact of mHealth affordance realization on patient well-being

This study investigates how realized affordances of mobile health technologies influence the relationship between technology use, patient empowerment and well-being in diabetes self-management.

The research proposes a technology use-empowerment-well-being (TEW) model based on affordance theory. Data were collected through a survey of 257 diabetes patients using mobile technologies for self-management and analyzed using structural equation modeling with SmartPLS.

Results indicate that patient empowerment fully mediates the relationship between mobile technology use and patient well-being. Importantly, realized affordances moderately strengthen the relationship between technology use and patient empowerment, demonstrating that patients derive greater benefits when they actively utilize technology's capabilities for diabetes management.

Reliance on self-reported data and the cross-sectional design limit causal inferences about the evolution of technology-empowerment-well-being relationships over time.

Healthcare technology designers should focus on creating clear, tangible benefits for patients that support specific self-management behaviors. Healthcare providers should educate patients about the benefits of technology and support them in realizing these affordances through training and ongoing assistance.

This study integrates affordance theory with patient empowerment concepts, providing empirical evidence that realized affordances - not merely technology availability - are critical for improving self-management outcomes. The TEW model introduces a novel framework for understanding how technology empowers patients and enhances well-being in chronic disease management.