Factors Influencing People’s Intention To Use Mobile Health Services: An Integration Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior And The Protection Motivation Theory

In China there are 280 million patients with chronic diseases, and the health costs are constantly growing every year. What’s more, the growth of health care spending is even faster than that of the overall economy; the state finance, therefore, feels pressure. How to alleviate the lack of medical resources and the continue increase of health care costs is one of the problems urgently to be solved in medical and health field. Mobile health service can provide users with convenience health services and information so as to reduce their medical costs caused by aging or other health issues. But surveys show that development of Chinese mobile health service is still in its early stage. After a review of the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB) and the protection motivation theory(PMT), and summarizing the key factors influencing the mobile health service user behavior intention, an integrated model is proposed to explain the factors influencing people’s intention to use mobile health services. Teachers,students and retired workers in an universities in Wuhan as the research object, through the way of field interviews and issuing of electronic questionnaires received 328 valid questionnaires. Through analysis of 328 valid questionnaires by SPSS20.0 and AMOS 20.0software, this paper tests hypotheses. The results demonstrate that perceived susceptibility to disease and Perceived severity to disease, which is from threat appraisal, are significantly influenced behavioral intention. Response cost, response efficacy and self-efficacy, which is from coping appraisal, are significantly influenced behavioral intention. Health status as personal characteristics is significantly influenced behavioral intention, and the impact of perceived susceptibility to disease, self-efficacy and health status on behavior intention is larger than other variables. And the reaction efficiency is significantly influenced users’ attitude. Finally, we should not only to tap into potential users of MHS, but also to provide effective services for users at all levels of health status.