EFFECTIVENESS OF A WEB-BASED WELLNESS PROGRAM

摘要

Wellness is of growing significance in personal and public health. The advent of newer information and communications technology (ICT), especially the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), provides opportunities to bring about behavioural change with considerable potential to enhance the quality of life; improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, through effective and innovative uses of health information. This intervention study was conducted simultaneously in a self-referred (SRG) and doctor-referred group (DRG) over 6 weeks to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based wellness program, Wellness Online Program (WOLP), to improve the wellness in six domains, namely the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, occupational and spiritual. It was found, in each domain, that there was a significant improvement in the wellness score for the SRG, but not the DRG. Thus, WOLP could be used as a compliment to existing primary healthcare, notably general medical practice, and that those who benefit from such programs are those who prefer self-management.