Acceptance of Online Medical Websites: An Empirical Study in China

Yuan Tang, Yu-Tao Yang and Yun-Fei Shao
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Yuan Tang: The School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Yu-Tao Yang: School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264200, China
Yun-Fei Shao: The School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: As a new type of public health service product, online medical websites (OMWs) are becoming quite popular. OMWs can address patients’ basic medical problems remotely and give health guidance online. Compared to traditional hospitals, OMWs are more convenient and inexpensive, they can usually provide a better service for patients with poor medical conditions (especially in rural areas), and they also contribute to the rational distribution of medical resources. Therefore, key factors that affect patients’ acceptance of OMWs must be identified to contribute to public health. By integrating perceived risk (PR) and the technology acceptance model (TAM), we proposed a modified TAM and clarified how PR and other factors affect patients’ behavioral intention (BI) towards OMWs. A sample of 245 research participants in China took part in this study and the structural equation model (SEM) was used to test our hypotheses. The results revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) is a positive predictor of BI but has no significant effect on attitude (ATT), while perceived ease of use (PEOU) can affect BI through PU and attitude (ATT). Moreover, trust (TRU) was identified as a mediator of PR and PU/PEOU. Also, the doctor–patient relationship (DPR) was shown to moderate PR and TRU. In order to increase patients’ BI, OMW providers need further innovations to improve patients’ TRU and reduce their PR.

Keywords: technology acceptance model; online medical websites; doctor–patient relationship; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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