Abstract
BackgroundOnline hospitals are part of an innovative model that allows China to explore telemedicine services based on national conditions with large populations, uneven distribution of medical resources, and lack of quality medical resources, especially among residents needing to be protected from COVID-19 infection.ObjectiveIn this study, we built a hypothesis model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in order to analyze the factors that may influence patients’ willingness to use mobile medical services. This research was designed to assist in the development of mobile medical services. Residents who do not live in urban areas and cannot access medical assistance would greatly benefit from this research, as they could immediately go to the online hospital when needed.MethodsA cross-sectional study based at the West China Hospital, Sichuan University, was conducted in July 2020. A total of 407 respondents, 18 to 59 years old, in Western China were recruited by convenience sampling. We also conducted an empirical test for the hypothesis model and applied structural equation modeling to estimate the significance of path coefficients so that we could better understand the influencing factors.ResultsOut of 407 respondents, 95 (23.3%) were aware of online hospitals, while 312 (76.7%) indicated that they have never heard of online hospitals before. Gender (P=.048) and education level (P=.04) affected people’s willingness to use online hospitals, and both of these factors promoted the use of online hospitals (odds ratio [OR] 2.844, 95% CI 1.010-8.003, and OR 2.187, 95% CI 1.031-4.636, respectively). According to structural equation modeling, the results of the path coefficient analysis indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions have positive effects on patients’ willingness to use online hospitals.ConclusionsThe goal of our research was to determine the factors that influence patients’ awareness and willingness to use online hospitals. Currently, the public’s awareness and usage of online hospitals is low. In fact, effort expectancy was the most important factor that influenced the use of online hospitals; being female and having a high education also played positive roles toward the use of mobile medical services.
Highlights
BackgroundWith the advent of the internet plus era, information technology (IT) has brought great convenience to people's production and lives
We found that gender (P=.048) and education level (P=.04) affected the willingness to use online hospitals, and both of them promoted the use of online hospitals as shown in SE 0.528 0.444 0.383 0.219
This study analyzed the factors, and their relationships, that influenced patients’ use of online hospitals and provided some prior information and a theoretical basis upon which other researchers can carry out similar research
Summary
BackgroundWith the advent of the internet plus era, information technology (IT) has brought great convenience to people's production and lives. Faced with increasing demand for medical and health services, around the year 2000, the Chinese government actively explored the application of internet IT to carry out innovative diagnoses and treatments based on the conditions seen nationwide In this context, online hospitals have appeared, along with the emergence and spread of COVID-19, and were vigorously promoted to divert patients from hospitals and to reduce the risk of cross-infection in hospitals. In order to explore patients’ willingness to use mobile medical services and their influencing factors, this study examines Chinese patients’ perspectives of online hospitals and builds a model of their willingness to use these services, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Objective: In this study, we built a hypothesis model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in order to analyze the factors that may influence patients’ willingness to use mobile medical services. Effort expectancy was the most important factor that influenced the use of online hospitals; being female and having a high education played positive roles toward the use of mobile medical services
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