Research on Health Informatics Systems and Their Influence on Patient Decision-Making in the Digital Age

The healthcare industry has changed due to the quick development of health informatics systems, particularly in the digital age, where patients increasingly rely on technology to manage their health. The aim is to investigate the influence of health informatics systems on patient decision-making quality in the digital age. Survey data from 317 patients using health informatics systems were collected. To evaluate factors, participants used a 5-point Likert scale to grade their experiences with these systems. Independent variables include type of health informatics system (THIS), Frequency of Use of Digital Health Tools (FUDHT), patient health literacy (PHL), access to technology (AT), and trust in digital tools (TDT), all of which influence decision-making behavior. The dependent variable is patient decision-making in the Digital Age (PDM), patient satisfaction with health decisions (PSHD), and Patient confidence in health choices (PCHC). Data was analyzed with SPSS 26, employing multiple linear regression, and path analysis to explore relationships between independent variables and patient decision-making quality, showing significant predictors of decision quality in the digital health setting. Results indicated support for hypothesis 3 (H3), as positive significant relationships among all the path coefficients and p-values validate the hypothesis. Findings highlight the critical role of digital tool accessibility, trust, and literacy in enhancing patient decision-making. Healthcare providers should focus on improving these aspects to support more informed and confident decision-making among patients in the digital age.