Patients' mHealth Apps Usage and Data Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Concerns: Exploratory Study

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: P-values ranging from 0.001 to 0.03 for significant associations

• Effect Size: Beta coefficients ranging from 0.18 to 0.47 for associations between privacy concerns and app adoption factors

• Primary Outcome: 38.2% of participants expressed high levels of data privacy, confidentiality, and security concerns

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: 18-25% of variance in perceived usefulness, ease of use, and behavioral intention explained by tested factors

• Confidence Interval: 35.6%-41.4% for proportion with high privacy concerns

Clinical Application

Findings suggest need for enhanced privacy communication and security features in mHealth apps to improve adoption rates Relevant for Australian digital health initiatives including My Health Record and PBS-subsidised digital therapeutics, though cultural differences may limit direct applicability. TGA regulation of software as medical devices increasingly important Patients using or considering mHealth apps for chronic disease self-management, particularly younger, more educated females who demonstrate higher privacy concerns

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Technology Adoption Model (TAM) offers a potential framework for elucidating the relationships between data privacy or security concerns and behavioral intention, perceived usefulness (PU), and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of mobile health (mHealth) apps, particularly for patients' self-care management. In Saudi Arabia, limited information is available on these pertinent research areas despite the government's relentless efforts to bolster the use of mHealth apps. OBJECTIVE: This study applies the TAM and the psychosociocultural framework to explore the influence of patients' data privacy and security concerns on the PU, PEOU, and behavioral intention to use mHealth apps for self-care management in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted by recruiting patients using mHealth apps for self-care from various provinces in Saudi Arabia. Research instruments were developed based on the components of 2 theories: the psychosociocultural framework and TAM, which were then piloted, validated, and distributed to participants via Google Forms. Linear regression models were performed to test the hypothesized relationships. RESULTS: Overall, 567 patients using mHealth apps participated in the study. Slightly more than one-third (217/567, 38.2%; range 35.6%-41.4%) of the participants expressed a high level of concern regarding data privacy, confidentiality, and security, with significant predictors being female gender, higher educational qualifications, and younger age groups (<46 years). About 18% to 25% of the variance in PU, PEOU, and behavioral intention to use mHealth apps was explained by the tested factors. Patients were more likely to have higher PU following a unit decrease in data confidentiality (β=.31; P=.01) and security concerns (β=.47; P=.01). The PEOU of mHealth apps increased as users demonstrated less concern regarding data privacy (β=.18; P=.001), confidentiality (β=.24; P<.001), and security (β=.43; P=.02). Likewise, behavioral intention to use mHealth apps also increased significantly following a reduction in respondents' concerns toward data privacy (β=.18; P=.02), confidentiality (β=.24; P=.03), and security issues (β=.36; P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: Specific demographic factors and concerns regarding data security and privacy influence patients' PU, PEOU, and behavioral intention to use mHealth apps for self-care management. Targeting the age-, education-, and gender-based differences regarding the usage of mHealth apps. Health care providers and policymakers may consider age-, education-, and gender-based differences when developing strategies to improve the adoption of mHealth apps among the Saudi patient population.

References

1. 1.Alhammad, N., Alajlani, M., Abd-Alrazaq, A., Arvanitis, T. N., & Epiphaniou, G. (2026). Patients' mHealth apps usage and data privacy, security, and confidentiality concerns: Exploratory study. JMIR Formative Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2015.1018560