Counseling for Health: How Psychological Distance Influences Continuance Intention towards Mobile Medical Consultation

Fuyong Lu, Xintao Wang and Xian Huang ()
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Fuyong Lu: Institute of Education and Economy Research, University of International Business and Economics, No. 10, Huixindongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
Xintao Wang: School of Business, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancundajie, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
Xian Huang: School of Business, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancundajie, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: As mobile healthcare services entered the public sight with high frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients are increasingly recognizing the effectiveness of mobile medical consultation (MMC). Earlier studies have investigated what influences continuance intention (CI) towards MMC, but few studies have scrutinized it from the perspective of patients’ psychological distance. We formulated a framework to examine the psychological factors influencing CI towards MMC by integrating the information systems continuance model and psychological distance theory. The framework was validated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach and data from 475 MMC users in China. The empirical results revealed that immediacy, telepresence, intimacy, and substitutability were significant predictors of CI, while satisfaction mediated these pathways. Pandemic-induced anxiety positively moderated the effect of immediacy on satisfaction and the effect of satisfaction on CI. Practical implementations for MMC healthcare practitioners, designers, and marketers are drawn.

Keywords: mobile medical consultation; continuance intention; information systems continuance model; psychological distance theory; pandemic-induced anxiety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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