Abstract
BackgroundOnline doctor–patient consultation is a new option for orthopedic patients in China to obtain a diagnosis and treatment advice. This study explores the factors associated with online consultation to formulate operational guidelines for managing online consultations in an online medical community (OMC).MethodsAn empirical model was developed to identify the factors that influence online orthopedic doctor–patient consultations in an OMC while focusing on the perceived value of and perceived trust in online consultations. The moderating effects of different risk categories of orthopedic diseases were also considered. Data from 339 feedback surveys from orthopedic patients who used online consultation services and Stata software version 14.0 were used to estimate the model parameters and test the robustness of the empirical model.ResultsOf those who completed the feedback surveys, 53.42% were female patients, 82.27% were between 18 and 60 years old, and 61.98% sought consultations online more than 2 times per year. Model analysis demonstrated that the regression coefficients of the perceived value of and perceived trust in online consultations are 0.489 (p < 0.01) and 0.505 (p < 0.01), respectively. The interaction coefficient between disease risk and perceived value is 0.336 (p < 0.01), and the interaction coefficient between disease risk and perceived trust is − 0.389 (p < 0.01).ConclusionsOrthopedic patients’ perceived value of and perceived trust in online consultations in an OMC can significantly influence their intention to seek online disease diagnosis and treatment consultations. The effects of perceived value and perceived trust on patients' intention to consult vary significantly across different disease risk categories. Therefore, enhancing the perceived value and perceived trust of orthopedic patients is an important component of OMC operation and management.
Highlights
Online doctor–patient consultation is a new option for orthopedic patients in China to obtain a diagnosis and treatment advice
We found that the proportion of orthopedic patients over 60 years old who have online consultation experience is much smaller
The results indicate that both perceived value (r = 0.827, p < 0.05) and perceived trust (r = 0.759, p < 0.05) are statistically significantly positively correlated with intention to consult
Summary
Online doctor–patient consultation is a new option for orthopedic patients in China to obtain a diagnosis and treatment advice. An online medical community (OMC) refers to doctor–patient communications centered on medical information services using information and Related studies have explored the use of electronic consultation in orthopedic practice and the acceptance and. Foni et al proposed that there are multiple appropriate electronic consultation services available for orthopedic consultations [4], such as teleconsultation, for diagnosis, treatment, patient follow-up, or virtual rehabilitation; orthopedists can even offer specialized advice to nonspecialist doctors via teleconsultation. Electronic consultations provide an opportunity for orthopedic patients to seek medical advice. Electronic consultation plays a role in orthopedic patients obtaining relevant knowledge before visiting a hospital. Mignela et al pointed out that, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, electronic consultation could be further promoted and used, reducing the risk of infection and ensuring the safety of orthopedic surgeons and patients [12]
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