Can Information Availability Increase Patient Compliance? Mitigating Uncertainty Perceptions in the Provider-Patient Relationship

Abstract

Patient compliance with provider directions is central to patients’ well being, and non-compliance has been identified as a leading cause of increasing healthcare costs. While numerous factors may affect patient compliance, we investigate the mediating effect of patient health information availability on the relationship between perceived uncertainty and patients’ motivation to comply with providers’ orders. To understand how to mitigate perceived uncertainty, we extend the underlying principles of principal-agent theory—hidden information and hidden action—and propose three uncertainty-mitigating factors: perceived information asymmetry, fear of opportunism, and physician quality. The proposed structural model is empirically tested using data from 184 patients. Our model is supported, and the results provide an understanding of the process by which patients engage in their care through the support of information technology. We discuss the implications for understanding and facilitating the provider-patient relationship and its effect on patients' motivation to comply through the principal-agent perspective.