Topic List

The themes covered in both the survey and in-depth include:

  • The user-friendliness of the medical implant (institutional trust).
  • Provision of information about the medical implant (institutional trust).
  • The experiences respondents have with wireless features of the medical implant (institutional trust).
  • The general level of trust (dispositional trust).
  • The extent that people are concerned with computer security (institutional trust).
  • Confidence in their physicians (mutual trust) -> only applicable to patients.
  • Trust in the knowledge of the physician (institutional trust).
  • Trust in manufacturers (institutional trust).
  • Trust in their medical implant (institutional trust).

See for the questionnaires appendix 1-4. The first three themes focus on the user-friendliness of medical implants. How easy is it for patients to integrate medical implants into their daily lives and do wireless applications have a supporting role herein? To what extent do patients differ from each other and is there a difference in the user-friendliness between RCMI’s? If there are differences, how can they be explained? The way the provision of information takes place is also important and includes the accessibility of information and the methods that physicians use to inform patients about medical implants. Furthermore, attention is paid to the ways that doctors stay informed about the latest developments of RCMI’s and the role of the producer herein. The means used will be examined, like leaflets, brochures, websites, and manuals, but also courses and seminars. Another focus is the themes that are discussed in the information sessions and whether the information provided is easy to understand.

Questions that measure the institutional trust relate to the extent that people secure their computer and online data, the level of trust in the knowledge of the physician, trust in the manufacturers, and trust in the medical implants. Although trust in institutions plays a central role in this study, all three levels of trust are covered (dispositional trust, interactional trust, and institutional trust) in this thesis. These three forms of trust are closely related to each other and influence each other. Therefore, it is also necessary to pay attention to the first two levels of trust. The dispositional trust of patients is measured by statements. The interactional trust of patients is measured by questions that relate to the personal contact with the physician.

For physicians, producers and security experts only attention will be paid to the institutional trust. These groups of respondents only have a supporting role in explaining the attitude of trust of patients.