JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) have been shown to be an effective means for knowledge and research uptake, but little is known about why health care workers choose to use or ignore them. The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) — a theoretical model of persuasion that posits that one’s motivation and ability determines how information is processed — is a promising conceptual framework to guide the study of attitude formation for VCoPs. ELM distinguishes between Central Route information processing, whereby one is highly motivated and able and pays attention to the quality of content/arguments, and Peripheral Route processing, whereby lower motivation and ability cause one to be persuaded by peripheral messaging cues (such as where the message is coming from and how the message is conveyed). To date, no research has investigated the antecedents to these processing routes for VCoPs within a health care setting. In understanding these determinants, VCoPs can be appropriately designed to increase their chances of use and value among health care professionals.

Objective:

Our aim was to explore how motivation and ability affect attitudes towards using virtual communities of practice for those working in health care.

Methods:

Data was collected using online surveys at two Canadian health care conferences, where participants were shown a mock VCoP and asked about their perceptions of the online platform and related technologies. The survey instrument was developed based on previously validated scales used to study ELM, with the two routes to persuasion being represented through argument quality (central route) and source credibility and connectedness (peripheral route). Antecedents to these routes of persuasion were represented by ability and motivation. Attitudes were assessed both at the beginning and end of the study, and finally the intention to use the platform was examined. Responses for 86 participants was analyzed.

Results:

Ability (expertise with CoPs and VCoPs) was found to directly impact intention to use the system (P < .001 and P = .009, respectively), as did motivation (P < .001). Argument quality had the greatest impact on attitudes towards virtual CoPs, regardless of the user’s level of experience (P = .04 for those with lower levels of expertise with CoPs, and P = .003 for those with higher levels of expertise with CoPs). Significant correlation between attitude and intention to use the VCoPs system were also found (P < .001) for those with higher levels of expertise.

Conclusions:

The direct effect of antecedents on attitude and intention to use a VCoP strengthen the importance of these factors in determining the likelihood of the technology’s success. Unlike what has been found in previous ELM research, evidence-based arguments are an effective messaging tactic to improving attitudes towards VCoPs for health care professionals with both high and low levels of expertise. The chosen theoretical framework provided insight into the determinants of attitude formation, allowing for a better understanding of how to design and position a VCoP for those working in health care.