Research Article: Who is Facing Higher Increased Demand After the Online-Offline Channel Integration? Evidence from Public Hospitals in China
Abstract:
Before the widespread adoption of internet technology in the healthcare industry, patients have difficulty in finding suitable healthcare providers due to limited access to information about doctors and a lack of understanding of their individual medical conditions. Generally, doctors with higher professional titles are more likely to be regarded as well-trained ones who are able to provide higher-quality care, and therefore their workload is commonly heavier than that of doctors with lower professional titles.– The introduction of online consultation channels within hospitals alleviates the information asymmetry between doctors and patients to some extent. By reducing the cost for patients to communicate with doctors, it becomes easier for patients to gain knowledge about doctors’ professional competence and service attitude after the online-offline channel integration. As a result, the demand for patient visits among doctors may be affected.
Introduction:
Before the widespread adoption of internet technology in the healthcare industry, patients have difficulty in finding suitable healthcare providers due to limited access to information about doctors and a lack of understanding of their individual medical conditions. Generally, doctors with higher professional titles are more likely to be regarded as well-trained ones who are able to provide higher-quality care , and therefore their workload is commonly heavier than that of doctors with lower professional titles. –…
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