Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Nov 12, 2025
Date Accepted: Sep 11, 2026
Chinese Patients’ Willingness to Use Virtual Visits During and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated Cross-sectional Study in Zhejiang Province, 2021–2024
ABSTRACT
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical external factor influencing the development of telemedicine. In the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide adjusted their COVID-19 containment policies from the strictest level to routine management. The policy shift might have a significant impact on patients’ willingness to use (WTU) telemedicine.
Objective:
This study aims to examine the changes of patients’ willingness to use virtual visits during and post-COVID-19 pandemic in China.
Methods:
Cross-sectional surveys were conducted on 340, 786, 1179, and 1373 patients in Zhejiang Province from 2021 to 2024 to examine patients’ WTU for virtual visits in China. Based on 2021-2024 mixed cross-sectional data, binary logistic regression was employed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 containment policy changes on patients’ WTU. Binary logistic regression was also employed to identify determinants of patients’ WTU in each respective year.
Results:
Patients’ willingness to use virtual visit was 70.88% in 2021, 71.37% in 2022, 62.34% in 2023, and 75.38% in 2024. Binary logistic regression on mixed cross-sectional data showed that year was a significant factor of patients’ WTU. Compared with 2021, patients’ likelihood of being willing to use virtual visits was lower in 2023, but higher in 2024. Binary logistic regression on the cross-sectional data of each respective year showed that education level and internet use were determinants of patients’ WTU for all 4 years. Age was an additional determinant in 2023. Age, monthly income level and self-reported health status were additional determinants in 2024.
Conclusions:
There were fluctuations in patients’ willingness to use virtual visit in 2021-2024，however, the value of virtual visits service had been widely recognized by the general population in China. The change of COVID-19 containment policy in 2023 had significant impacts on patients' WTU. The determinants of patients’ WTU differed between the COVID-19 pandemic period and the post-COVID-19 era.
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