• Starts: 10:00 am on Friday, October 2, 2020
  • Ends: 12:00 pm on Friday, October 2, 2020
EMS PhD student, Brittany Andersen, will be holding her dissertation defense via Zoom on Friday October 2, 10am-12pm. If you wish to attend, please register in advance via this link using your BU email address: https://bostonu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pceirqj4pG9SI-MC-dYGv_4DRG6NnOboq Brittany will present her research for approximately 25 minutes. This will be followed by questions from the committee, lasting approximately 45 minutes. Please note that the audience may observe but may not comment or ask questions. The committee will then deliberate in private. You can find more information about Brittany’s dissertation research below: “In recent years, there has been a shift in consumer health innovations, specifically with the availability of digital health tools. One innovation that has gained momentum is direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) for health information. DTC-GT is a DNA test that can provide information about an individual’s health, such as risk assessments and cancer predispositions. While these types of tools propose increased access to health information, limited research has examined the factors affecting purchase intent of these innovations. This dissertation firstly examined factors that could affect the decision to purchase DTC-GT through the lens of Diffusion of Innovations theory. Results from interviews with prospective customers found that the main motivations for purchase included finding out beneficial health information and convenience compared to testing via medical providers. The main barriers to purchase were privacy concerns, perceived likelihood of developing a condition, and not wanting to know if one was at risk for a condition. Additionally, this dissertation considered the impact of media framing by examining how the angle from which an article is written could affect purchase intent. Results from this study found that individuals exposed to a news article discussing the perceived benefits of DTC-GT had the highest purchase intent. This study also found that framing effects can vary for different groups of people, as the framing effects were stronger for those with a higher perceived likelihood of developing a condition and those who desired to learn their health risk levels. The implications for theory and communication strategists are further discussed throughout this dissertation.”
Location:
Zoom
Registration:
https://bostonu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pceirqj4pG9SI-MC-dYGv_4DRG6NnOboq
Short Title
EMS Dissertation Defense