M Health And Patient Healthcare-seeking Behavior

[Purpose] Based on the research paradigm of behavioral economics and cognitive psychology,this paper innovatively introduced “m Health” to this study and aimed to figure out if it could influence patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors.More specifically,based on prospect theory and the assumption of “bounded rationality”,this study focused on patients with common diseases,and investigated how psychological factors change individuals’ decision-making about medical institute in the mobile century.Synthesizing patients’ belief and preference,the researcher constructed a two-stage decision-making model to analyze their healthcare-seeking behaviors.Factors including representativeness heuristics,availability heuristics,service accessibility,mental accounting and self-cognition are all discussed in model hypothesis,to find out the inner reason of patients’ irrational healthcare-seeking behaviors.Moreover,through analyzing the relation between m Health and healthcare-seeking behaviors,this study explored the prospect of emerging medical products,and found out possible measures to guide patients to fundamental medical institutions.[Methods] Based on prospect theory,this paper built a two-stage decisionmaking model and hypothesis by literature reviewing,theory and logical deduction.Under the research paradigms of behavioral economics and cognitive psychology,we found out the psychological factors affecting patients’ belief and risk preference.Focusing on those psychological factors mentioned above,the researcher compiled a questionnaire and further test its reliability and validity.Then online and offline data collection was conducted,including interviewees’ demographic characteristics,m Health App experience,heuristics,service accessibility,mental accounting,selfcognition level and fundamental medical institution tendencies.In hypothesis testing stage,we used structural equation modeling method to explain patients’ decision-making logic of choosing medical institutions,and examined the role of m Health in the model to determine its influence on patient psychology and behaviors.[Conclusion] Under uncertainty,the primary reference point of patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors is recovery.When choosing where to get treatment,patients’ behaviors are simultaneously reformed by external environmental factors and subjective factors such as cognition level,budget and previous medical experience.Guided by their own health needs,patients would make their decisions under "most satisfactory principle",rather than "utility maximization principle".The decision-making process of patients’ healthcare-seeking behaviors could be divided into two phases.In the editing phase,individuals reform their belief by collecting and cleaning information,thus obtain the simplified information of each alternative medical institution;in the evaluation phase,individuals will compare the alternatives selected in editing phase and make final decisions according to their own preference.Patients’ decision-making process about institute choosing will be affected by certain psychological factors,including representativeness heuristics,availability heuristics,service accessibility and mental accounting.A higher level of representativeness heuristics and availability heuristics could hamper patients to choose fundamental medical institutions.On the contrary,a higher level of service accessibility induces patients to choose fundamental medical institutions.Furthermore,a smaller mental accounting could also induce patients to fundamental medical institutions.The use of m Health Apps can significantly reduce the negative impact of availability heuristics.By providing users with convenient medical information,m Health Apps built a new channel between patients and fundamental medical institutions,which could strengthen the information flow and influence of fundamental medical institutions,thus enabling patients a stronger perception of fundamental medical institutions.Using m Health Apps can also improve patients’ self-cognition.Due to the professionality of medical knowledge,healthcare industry has high industry barriers.Now m Health Apps offer users with knowledge popularization and online consulting services,so patients can have a better understanding of their physical conditions and future treatment plans,which help them clarify their risk.The use of m Health Apps can significantly reduce the mental accounting of patients with common diseases,thereby promoting their choice of fundamental medical institutions.In the process of patients’ decision-making,economic factor is always an important reference point.In China,patients generally afford a relatively high proportion of outpatient fees.Therefore,after confirming their health condition and risk,patients with common diseases are more willing to choose low-cost fundamental medical institutions from economic perspective.If policymakers wanted to intervene in patients’ unreasonable healthcareseeking behaviors,they should not only consider system construction from government perspective,but also try to change patients’ beliefs and images of fundamental medical institutions.For example,government can apply diversified methods to help patients reduce the impact of cognitive bias and enhance their understanding and utilization of various health information.