Cross-Culture Online Knowledge Validation and the Exclusive Practice of Stem Cell Therapy

Abrar Al-Hasan, Jiban Khuntia, Dobin Yim

Source Title: Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM)29(2)

ISSN: 1062-7375|EISSN: 1533-7995|EISBN13: 9781799859017|DOI: 10.4018/JGIM.20210401.oa1

MLA

Al-Hasan, Abrar, et al. "Cross-Culture Online Knowledge Validation and the Exclusive Practice of Stem Cell Therapy." JGIM vol.29, no.2 2021: pp.194-221. http://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.20210401.oa1

APA

Al-Hasan, A., Khuntia, J., & Yim, D. (2021). Cross-Culture Online Knowledge Validation and the Exclusive Practice of Stem Cell Therapy. Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM), 29(2), 194-221. http://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.20210401.oa1

Chicago

Al-Hasan, Abrar, Jiban Khuntia, and Dobin Yim. "Cross-Culture Online Knowledge Validation and the Exclusive Practice of Stem Cell Therapy," Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM) 29, no.2: 194-221. http://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.20210401.oa1

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Abstract

Increasingly, people are turning to the internet to access health information despite reports that sites vary in terms of their quality, especially when the health practice is emerging or exclusive, such as stem cell and umbilical cord blood therapy. Given the controversy, patients have to depend on available sources to validate their knowledge prior to going for these practices as treatments. This study explores how the internet supports the spread of stem cell therapy practices, viewing it from a knowledge validation theoretical perspective. The study posits hypotheses differentiating digital and human sources, trust in the media source, and exploratory and verification sources on knowledge validation for exclusive practices. Primary survey data was collected from the US and Kuwait. Key findings suggest that knowledge verification and trust in the internet influences knowledge conversion and the practice decision of patients for less practice-oriented knowledge, and this effect is higher for Kuwait than USA, and more so for stem cell than umbilical cord blood practice.