(A) Study of e-medical service innovation on Chinese customers' behavior intention based on TAM

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The development of information technology has brought about significant changes in the healthcare industry, with the global digital healthcare market rising rapidly, a trend that is particularly noticeable in China. A large population base coupled with a serious aging population and a younger population with chronic diseases has intensified the demand for healthcare resources. Despite the government's efforts to reform healthcare, traditional healthcare is still unable to meet the demand at this stage and needs to be transformed through technological means. As a result, the combination of Internet technology and traditional medical services has given rise to e-medical services. these services can break the constraints of time and space and ease the burden on the healthcare market. However, despite the many advantages of e-medical services, they still encounter many difficulties in the stage of promotion and implementation. Therefore, to increase the use of e-medical services, it is necessary to study the reasons that influence consumers' acceptance of the services.
This research aims to comprehend the mechanisms influencing consumer acceptance of e-medical services in China. While existing studies on technology acceptance primarily focus on psychological factors, limited attention has been given to the impact of service attributes and costs on consumer behavior in the e-medical care domain. Given the significant influence of service quality and cost on service consumption in various sectors, studying e-medical service innovation and perceived cost is crucial to understanding consumer acceptance. Additionally, consumers' personal innovativeness and internet involvement also play pivotal roles in technology acceptance, warranting exploration to comprehend diverse acceptance mechanisms among different user groups.
The study utilizes the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) framework, widely employed in various fields, to explain acceptance phenomena. TAM is adapted by integrating e-medical service innovation and perceived cost as antecedents of technology acceptance. Moreover, the study categorizes users based on personal innovativeness and internet involvement to discern distinct acceptance mechanisms among varied user groups. By examining these factors, the research seeks to predict significant facilitators and inhibitors influencing consumer acceptance of e-medical services, thereby contributing to the understanding of consumer decision-making processes in the realm of technological acceptance in healthcare.
An in-depth examination of the relationship between e-medical service innovation, perceived cost, and the TAM model revealed that treatment accessibility, service responsiveness, and information transparency significantly affect perceived usefulness, whereas service personalization, service responsiveness, and information transparency affect perceived ease of use. Furthermore, information search cost influences perceived usefulness and monetary cost affects usage intention.
These findings suggest practical implications, such as the need for platforms to prioritize tailoring services to individual preferences and medical needs while also simplifying interfaces to mitigate complexity. Increasing the perception of usefulness by publicizing the specific benefits and effectiveness of accessible treatments, and so on.
By using the TAM model for e-medical service innovation, this study brings a new research perspective to this area and extends the applicability of the TAM model in analyzing Chinese consumers' e-medical service perceptions. These implications offer concrete guidance for service providers in designing and implementing e-medical services, ultimately improving user acceptance and utilization in China's evolving healthcare landscape.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract vii
• 1 Introduction 1
• 1.1 Research background 1
• 1.2 Research objectives 3
• 1.3 Research constructs 5
• 2 Literature review 6
• 2.1 Chinese e-medical service market 6
• 2.2 E-medical service innovation 8
• 2.2.1 Service personalization 10
• 2.2.2 Treatment accessibility 12
• 2.2.3 Service responsiveness 13
• 2.2.4 Information transparency 14
• 2.2.5 Privacy protection 17
• 2.3 Perceived e-medical service cost 17
• 2.3.1 Information search cost 17
• 2.3.2 Monetary cost 19
• 2.4 Technology acceptance model 19
• 2.4.1 Perceived ease of use 22
• 2.4.2 Perceived usefulness 22
• 2.4.3 Usage intention 23
• 2.5 Consumer characteristics 24
• 2.5.1 Personal innovativeness 24
• 2.5.2 Internet involvement 26
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• 3 Methodology 28
• 3.1 Research model and hypotheses 28
• 3.1.1 Research model 28
• 3.1.2 Hypothesis development 29
• 3.2 Measurement 33
• 3.3 Data collection and analysis techniques 39
• 3.3.1 Data collection 39
• 3.3.2 Analysis techniques 40
• 4 Data analysis 41
• 4.1 Descriptive analysis 41
• 4.1.1 Demographic characteristics 41
• 4.1.2 General characteristics 42
• 4.2 Exploratory factor analysis 43
• 4.3 Measured model 46
• 4.4 Structural model 49
• 4.5 Multigroup analysis 53
• 5 Discussion 60
• 5.1 Research findings 60
• 5.2 Implications 64
• 5.2.1 Practical implications 64
• 5.2.2 Theoretical implications 67
• 5.3 Limitations and future research 68
• References 69
• Appendix 1. Survey questionnaire (English version) 86
• Appendix 2. Survey questionnaire (Chinese version) 96