JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Internet hospitals are playing a significant role in medical care with its potential to provide widely accessible outpatient service delivery via information technologies. Current research on patients’ satisfaction of Internet hospitals mainly focused on physician-patient relationship and patient demand, and less is considered about the whole process of online consultation.

Objective:

This study aims to identity the factors influencing patient satisfaction considering the entire process of online consultation to help physicians deliver better online medical services and physical hospitals operate Internet hospital more effectively.

Methods:

Based on SERVQUAL theoretical model, questionnaire items were designed for the five dimensions of reliability, assurance, responsiveness, empathy and tangibility. 355 patients on the Internet hospital platform operated by a tertiary general hospital in Beijing were taken as the research samples for data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out for dimensions of the measurement model, and the path analysis was carried out for the structural model.

Results:

The current consultation process of internet hospitals as perceived by patients did not yet meet their expectations, and the overall satisfaction rate of patients was only 7.15. Five dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, empathy, tangibility and assurance all had different positive predictive effects on patient satisfaction in Internet hospitals to a certain extent. Among them, tangibility exerted the greatest impact on patient satisfaction in Internet hospitals() but obtained the lowest score among the sampled participants (Mean=6.78).

Conclusions:

Internet hospitals and physicians should focus on the factors of the above dimensions especially tangibility of medical services in the multistage of online consultation, thus better serving patients and promoting the sustainable development of Internet healthcare.