JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Whether the construction of broadband infrastructure can alleviate the problem of mismatched urban medical resources is crucial to the national information strategy, residents' well-being, and social equity. However, the academic community lacks comprehensive theoretical analysis and rigorous empirical research on this issue.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to construct a preliminary theoretical framework to scientifically assess the effects of broadband infrastructure development on the mitigation of healthcare resource mismatch from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, and to explore the potential mechanisms of influence, and ultimately to develop a number of practical policy recommendations.

Methods:

This study first utilizes theoretical analysis to proposes testable theoretical hypotheses, and establishes a preliminary theoretical framework. Then, based on balanced panel data from 300 cities from 2010 to 2021, a two-way fixed effects difference-in-differences model is employed for empirical testing. Mechanism tests, robustness analyses, and heterogeneity analyses are further conducted.

Results:

The research findings demonstrate that the Broadband China Policy significantly reduces the degree of mismatch in urban medical resources by primarily utilizing innovation effects and integration effects, resulting in a reduction of 13.2%. Additionally, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the central and eastern regions, cities with large populations, and areas with a high proportion of young people benefit more significantly.

Conclusions:

This study fully confirms, both theoretically and empirically, that broadband infrastructure construction can effectively reduce the mismatch of urban medical resources, not only expands the existing literature on the impact of broadband on public services but also provides valuable opportunities for policymakers to optimize the allocation of medical resources.