Web medical forums are relatively unique as knowledge-sharing platforms because physicians participate exclusively as knowledge contributors and not as knowledge recipients. Using the perspective of social exchange theory and considering both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, this study aims to elicit the factors that significantly influence the willingness of physicians to share professional knowledge on web medical forums and develops a research model to explore the motivations that underlie physicians' knowledge-sharing attitudes. This model hypothesizes that constructs, including shared vision, reputation, altruism, and self-efficacy, positively influence these attitudes and, by extension, positively impact knowledge-sharing intention. A conventional sampling method and the direct recruitment of physicians at their outpatient clinic gathered valid data from a total of 164 physicians for analysis in the model. The empirical results support the validity of the proposed model and identified shared vision as the most significant factor of influence on knowledge-sharing attitudes, followed in descending order by knowledge-sharing self-efficacy, reputation, and altruism.

Task-technology fit theory considers how technology may best be deployed to support individuals and facilitate the completion of tasks. This study separates the fit construct into the two realms of task-technology fit and technology-individual fit and integrates organization readiness with the objective of investigating the effectiveness of mobile nursing information systems in terms of helping nursing staff to accomplish daily clinical tasks. Study participants were clinical professionals with system usage experience who work at one medical center. Results indicated that technology-individual fit is the factor that most strongly influences usage, followed respectively by task-technology fit and organization readiness. Therefore, strategies designed to implement mobile nursing information systems should focus greater effort on fitting the system to system users by making these systems easy to learn and use, and training easy to complete. System functions should not only facilitate accomplishment of daily clinical tasks such as quickly obtaining information and accurate data but also be portable and provide a user-friendly, easy-to-operate interface. Organizational readiness, the commitment and support of top management, and nursing staff willingness to learn and use the new system are also important factors that influence system usage.

Many e-learning studies have evaluated learning attitudes and behaviors, based on TAM. However, a successful e-learning system (ELS) should take both system and information quality into account by applying ISM developed by Delone and McLean. In addition, the acceptance for information system depends on the perceived usefulness and ease of use according to TAM. This research combined TAM with ISM by introducing system quality, quality of platform information, and course information as an antecedent of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. These factors were crucial for understanding users’ intention to continue their use of ELS. This study investigated 412 students with ELS experiences. The results indicate that system quality, platform information, and course information had significantly related to user satisfaction and their intention to use ELS continuously.

With increasing use of information technology applications, courses related to hardware topic should be increased to improve nurse problem-solving abilities. This study recommends that emphases on word processing and network-related topics may be reduced in favor of an increased emphasis on database, statistical software, hospital information systems, and information ethics.

s u m m a r y Background: As a useful tool, business model holds the promises to make operations explicitly in terms of what services and benefits the consumer may receive, the ways services may be provided, and what financial benefits the operations may yield. Previous researchers have used business models to examine components of operations for telemedicine in the United States. There exists an omission in the literature concerning its commercial potential consideration. The purpose of this study is to apply business model perspective to generate a framework to analyze six major telemedicine projects in Taiwan. Methods: This study used a business-model perspective and applied case study to examine six major telemedicine projects launched in a commercial operation. These cases encompassed the three major types of players, including hospitals, security firms, and not-for-profit organizations and represented the four models of long-term care service delivers, including home care, community-based care, institutional care, and mobile security care. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the managers or principal executers of each project. Results: The finding of this study indicate that value proposition, partnership, resource, and capability affect service process and cost structures. This in turn has an impact on customers' acceptance of telemedicine.Conclusions: The framework we proposed serves as a useful tool to obtain more insights into the future development of telemedicine. The cost of operating a telemedicine service system is currently not low. The practitioner could reduce the cost through modifying value proposition, service process or allying with more experienced partner.