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The Social Implications of Technology Diffusion: Uncovering the Unintended Consequences of People’s Health-Related Mobile Phone Use in Rural India and China

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  • Haenssgen, Marco J.
  • Ariana, Proochista

Abstract

After three decades of mobile phone diffusion, thousands of mobile-phone-based health projects worldwide (“mHealth”), and hundreds of thousands of smartphone health applications, fundamental questions about the effect of phone diffusion on people’s healthcare behavior continue to remain unanswered. This study investigated whether, in the absence of specific mHealth interventions, people make different healthcare decisions if they use mobile phones during an illness. Following mainstream narratives, we hypothesized that phone use during an illness (a) increases and (b) accelerates healthcare access.

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  • Haenssgen, Marco J. & Ariana, Proochista, 2017. "The Social Implications of Technology Diffusion: Uncovering the Unintended Consequences of People’s Health-Related Mobile Phone Use in Rural India and China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 286-304.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:94:y:2017:i:c:p:286-304
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.01.014
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    4. M Vimalkumar & Jang Bahadur Singh & Sujeet Kumar Sharma, 0. "Exploring the Multi-Level Digital Divide in Mobile Phone Adoption: A Comparison of Developing Nations," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    5. Oughton, Edward J. & Comini, Niccolò & Foster, Vivien & Hall, Jim W., 2022. "Policy choices can help keep 4G and 5G universal broadband affordable," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    6. Haenssgen, Marco J., 2018. "The struggle for digital inclusion: Phones, healthcare, and marginalisation in rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 358-374.
    7. Emmanuel W. Ayaburi & Francis Kofi Andoh-Baidoo & Yogesh K. Dwivedi & Banita Lal, 2022. "Editorial: Special Issue on “Bright ICT: Security, Privacy and Risk Issues”," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 371-373, April.
    8. Sebastian MP, 2019. "Smart Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities," Working papers 315, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
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