Modeling wicked problems in healthcare using interactive qualitative analysis: The case of patients’ internet usage

Wicked problems are embedded with attributes such as lack of understanding, multiple stakeholders’ involvement in solution implementation and the lack of opportunity of undoing the solution implemented. Hence, a robust methodology is required to understand its nature. Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) is a systems method that caters to the need of understanding the phenomenon while also provisioning means to understand different stakehold-ers’ perceptions of the phenomenon. This study demonstrates the use of IQA in understanding a wicked problem in healthcare sector dealing with patients’ internet usage. Our analysis reveals that patients elicit the need of the internet in three new realms, namely, hospital choice, physician choice, and online support services, which were not apparent in previous studies on the same context. The study’s findings provide insights that could lead to development of strategies for meta-services within healthcare sector involving information dissemination for patients through the internet.