Research On Patient’s Intention Of Online Inquiry Behavior In Internet Hospital Based On TPB Theory

【Purpose】Based on the theory of planned behavior and the development of Internet hospitals in China,this research was aimed to analyze the patient’s intention of online inquiry behavior in internet hospital,which is helpful for the development of Internet hospitals.【Methods】The project included four phases:In the first phase,literature analysis was conducted to identify the basic theory.In the second phase,the patient interview was carried out.Then the research hypothesis was put forward,and the model of patient’s intention of online inquiry behavior in internet hospital was initially constructed.In the third phase,we designed a questionnaire and conducted a pre-survey.Cronbach coefficient and factor analysis were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the questionnaire.In the last phase,a formal investigation was conducted,and AMOS17.0 was used to construct the structural equation model to analyze and evaluate the behavioral intention model of patients’online inquiry.And The influencing factors of demographic characteristics were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square test.【Results】The results are listed as follows:1.Patient interview showed that 19 patients were effectively interviewed.Combined with literature analysis,the key dimensions affecting the behavioral intention of patients’online inquiry in Internet hospitals were determined:convenience perception,patient’s outcome perception,information risk perception,emotional preference,medical risk perception,medical liability perception,health consciousness,attitude of behavior,perceptual behavior control,subjective norm,severity of illness.2.The preliminary survey showed that 117 samples were effectively collected,and the overall kronbach coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.924,the extracted 11 principal components can explain 76.80%of the total variance.The results indicated that both reliability and validity of the scale were fair ideal.3.The formal survey effectively collected 638 questionnaires.The data was not subject to multivariate normal distribution.Bollen-stine Bootstrap method was used for analysis of structural equation model.Preliminary analysis shows that the fitting of the model is not excellent.After modification,the goodness of fit indices was listed as below:GFI=0.942,AGFI=0.920,NFI=0.920,RFI=0.900,IFI=0.947,TLI=0.933,CFI=0.946,PGFI=0.679(PGFI>0.5),RMR=0.07,RMSEA=0.054,CMIN/DF=2.837,and the P values of all coefficients were less than 0.05,indicating that the model fitting effect became better after modified.In the final model,convenience perception,emotional preference,information risk perception and health consciousness have significant effects on attitude of behavior.Attitude of behavior,disease severity,perceived behavioral control and medical risk perception directly affect patient’s intention of online inquiry behavior in internet hospital.4.According to univariate analysis of ANOVA,the F values of age,education and marital status were 3.95(P=0.002),7.243(P=0.000)and 15.840(P=0.000).Chi-square test of age,education and marital status showed Pearsoncx~2was 33.651(P=0.029),49.431(P=0.000)and 18.3(P=0.001),indicating that age,education and marital status had a significant influence on the behavioral intention of the online hospital.【Conclusions】Internet hospitals should reasonably arrange quality experts,and carriy out online diagnosis and treatment services with special specialties to meet patients’needs.At the same time,internet hospitals should guarantee the integrity of process to reduce the obstacles of patients’online consultation.Patients are very concerned about safety.The government should improve the rules and regulations for medical behaviors in internet hospitals to ensure the patient safety,and create a safe online consultation channel for patients.In the future,internet hospital research should pay more attention to security issues.Meanwhile,with the aging of China’s society,the internet hospital acceptance of elderly patients deserve further study.What’s more,on the basis of this study,further research about patient satisfaction,patient experience and patient perceived value of internet hospitals should be taken seriously.