Trust in health infomediaries (song , 2007, DSS)

Introduction

1. There are many studies in IS that have investigated trust as an important factors
 
Actor-network theory (ANT)

2. Conceptualizing the trust relationship between web users and a health infomediary website raises the issue of anthropomorphism, which involves ascribing human attributes to nonhuman entities.

3. In the parlance of Latour's actor-network theory (ANT), in such relationships infomediaries are “actors” who “stand in” and act on behalf of web customers to reduce their risk in making health choices and in dealing with providers

4. By accumulating health information, infomediaries act as “delegates” whose points of view are those of web users.
 
5. These delegates are online entities, which are an amalgamation of humans, social and business standards, and information technology, interconnected like a chain.

6.  Latour argues that at each link, humans and objects are intertwined in order to transform matter to form. For example, web designers, web technology, health information, health experts are intertwined to use IT and other resources to create a design for the website.

7.  ANT makes it possible to combine the technology determinism – IT artifact forms beliefs or beliefs shapes IT

artifacts – with social constructivism that emphasizes human social interactions in using the technology.

Trust Beliefs

8. There are different views about trust as belief, attitude, intention, and behavior

9.  The theories of trust have identified a number of general trustworthiness beliefs that apply to many circumstances.

These beliefs include integrity, benevolence, competence, consistency, loyalty, openness, and predictability

10. In the actor-network theory (ANT), design is a process of “translation” of users' and other stakeholders'

needs into specific categories of needs, and later to a general set of needs

11.These general needs are then 'inscribed' into a uniform solution (the design)

12. Inscription in this context means that the IT artifact reflects and embodies the needs and use patterns of its

users, Alignment is defined as “the extent to which the agendas and interests inscribing into the practice, institutions, and strategies of the network pull in the same direction, and serve the same purpose”