title: The economic implications of users willingness to increase knowledge capital in health informatics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop an economic model of health care professionals demand for knowledge capital in health informatics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case study with application of the Contingent Valuation Method to develop a small-scale model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specialized clinic at a university Hospital in Sweden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The model displays the economic rationale behind an individual's choice to spend leisure time for obtaining knowledge in health informatics. This decision reduces the total leisure time, but does not increase salary. Instead, it may increase the personal well being by higher satisfaction gained from using information systems and by being recognized as a computer expert.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals have preferences over all uses of time and for activities they can choose to engage in Support of health care staff's investment in health informatics knowledge capital may benefit both the individuals and indirectly the health care organization.
authors.affiliation: MDA, Department of Computer Science, Linköping University, Sweden. vivvi@ida.liu.se
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vimarlund
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timpka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hallberg
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003197:Computer Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000191:economics* / Q000193:education; D018803:Models, Economic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires