Information Systems and Health Care-I: Trust, Uncertainty, and Online Prescription Filling

Abstract

Online prescription filling possesses great market potential; however, consumers' perception of uncertainty tends to impede their adoption of online prescription filling. Trust is recognized as a critical factor affecting online shopping in general. We contend that trust can help consumers overcome perceived uncertainty, thereby enhancing their intention to adopt online prescription filling. Drawing on prior research on trust and theory of transaction cost economics, this paper proposes a research model that encompasses three trust antecedents, two sources of uncertainty, and the relationships among trust, uncertainty, and the consumer's intention to adopt online prescription filling. The model was tested empirically using a large sample. It is found that (1) calculus-based, knowledge-based, and institution-based trust antecedents significantly affect trust, (2) information asymmetry and online drug retailers' opportunistic behavior contribute to perceived uncertainty, (3) trust reduces uncertainty and positively affects intention, and (4) uncertainty influences intention negatively.

Consumer Choice of Purchasing Private-Label Drugs: An Empirical Study in China

“…Since consumers are unable to thoroughly assess drug quality, their drug purchase decision cannot be a completely rational process. Drug trust has to be developed as a means of uncertainty avoidance so that consumers can make the purchase decision (Liang, Xue, Laosethakul, & Scott, 2005;Pavlou, Liang, & Xue, 2007a). Drug trust can be influenced by drug quality.…”

The impact of prior experience on shopping behaviors

“…Pavlou et al [53] proposed a set of four antecedents of perceived uncertainty in online buyer-seller relationships-perceived information asymmetry, fears of seller opportunism, information privacy concerns, and information security concerns. Moreover, this paper summarized the sources of uncertainty derived from multiple studies [8,43,50,53,63] and identifies two types of perceived uncertainty-relationship uncertainty, and environmental uncertainty from the perspectives of buyers. The uncertainty from the fear of seller opportunism and psychological contract violation will exert an increasingly strong influence on the buyer-seller relationship.…”

“…Despite the many studies that have explored trust being one of the important determinants of a customer's acceptance of internet shopping [24,37,45], few empirical studies have been conducted on whether trust is heavily influenced by uncertainty of online transactions [43]. In addition, the importance of customer trust and of the TAM antecedents -perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) in online shopping change with experience [23].…”

Facets of Trust in Relationships – A Literature Synthesis of Highly Ranked Trust Articles

“…The two-dimensional measurement was later modified by several authors (see figure 1). Some researchers maintain that trust should be defined by three dimensions, "trustee's benevolence, integrity, and ability", "benevolence, integrity, and competence", or "affective, cognitive, and conative trust", or sometimes even four dimensions (Schlosser et al 2006, Wang and Benbasat 2005, Liang et al 2005, Aiken and Boush 2006, Gefen and Straub 2004, Van den Berg and Van Lieshout 2001.…”