Data Size Matters: The Impact of Message Framing in Different Health Scenarios on the Donation of Personal Health Information

Abstract

Health data donation allows individuals to share their personal health information for the greater good. As privacy concerns hinder many individuals from disclosing such sensitive information, this study investigates how benefit appeals, attribute framing, and health conditions can influence the intention to donate personal health information. We conduct a scenario-based online experiment and answer our research question using data from a German sample (n=208). We used a vignette design with a 2 (benefit appeal) x 2 (attribute framing) x 2 (health condition) mixed-subject design. Our results indicate that benefit appeals, attribute framing, and health condition statistically significantly influence the intention to donate personal health information. Our findings contribute to health in information systems and the privacy literature stream by extending knowledge regarding phenomena with multi-layered benefit structures and by opening future research possibilities in the context of health data donation.