Information Culture and Development: Chinese Experience of E-Health

In the healthcare sector, the adoption of ICT is perceived as the main driving force in the unfolding healthcare reforms in many countries. This paper argues that rather than focusing on technological innovation in healthcare institutions as an end itself, developing countries should adopt a holistic approach to cultivate a more mature information culture in healthcare. This means building conditions and capacities for the collection, interpretation and utilization of information resources. Giddens´ Structuration Theory is used to conceptualize information culture, which underlines the analysis of China´s information culture and its interaction with e-health development. The paper aims to contribute to the discussion of using information to improve healthcare, with particular reference to less developed countries.