The role of social support network in e-health services for elderly persons

Regardless of the abundant literature on the relationship between social support network and health outcomes of the elderly, there are nearly no studies examining them in the online context. In this paper, we explore the role of social support network in e-health services in the context of a European project, whose aim is to develop a multimedia platform providing social e-services for elderly persons and their social entourage. We collect data in three European countries to examine the relationship among the social network, social support, e-service quality, satisfaction, perceived quality of life and health-promotion behavior. This study contributes to the extension of IS service quality research to the context of social networks, and offers IS practitioners some insights to provide better e-health services.