Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 20, 2025
Date Accepted: Oct 10, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Heterogeneous Perceptions of Digital Health Technology Adoption Among Chinese Physicians: A Latent Profile Analysis and Predictor Exploration
ABSTRACT
Background:
Digital health technologies hold transformative potential in healthcare, yet physician adoption varies significantly. This heterogeneity reflects complex interactions among individual, institutional and patient-related factors, necessitating systematic profiling to guide targeted implementation strategies.
Objective:
This study aimed to identify distinct profiles of Chinese physicians based on their perceptions of digital health technology implementation and to examine the factors associated with these profiles.
Methods:
Using random cluster sampling, this cross-sectional study surveyed 4,851 physicians across 46 hospitals in Shaanxi Province, China. We developed a tripartite framework (benefits, barriers, and objective evaluations) encompassing nine digital health adoption indicators. Latent profile analysis identified distinct physician adoption patterns based on these indicators, revealing significant heterogeneity. Subsequent multinomial logistic regression examined predictors of profile membership, incorporating individual and occupational characteristics.
Results:
The latent profile analysis identified five distinct profiles: Reform-Adaptable (10.6%), Negative (20.1%), Neutral (47.6%), Reform-Conservative (10.4%), and Positive (11.3%). Intergroup differences were statistically significant (ANOVA/χ², p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gender, education level, hospital level, working hours, income level, work satisfaction, occupational stress, and doctor-patient relationship quality significantly predicted profile membership.
Conclusions:
This study empirically delineates five distinct perceptual typologies of DHT adoption among Chinese physicians, with the neutral group comprising the majority. This suggests substantial heterogeneity exists across these typologies, although most share commonalities in terms of clinician attitudes. These findings offer an evidence-based framework for designing tailored implementation strategies, ensuring that digital health interventions align with physician-specific characteristics. By addressing these nuanced adoption patterns, healthcare systems can enhance the translational impact and scalability of DHT in real-world clinical practice. Clinical Trial: NA
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