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The Impact on Healthcare Service Quality and Patients Satisfaction via Adopting Mobile Health Technology: An empirical Study in a Public Ophthalmologic Hospital in China

Chenhui Jin, Canghong Wang, Xiaotong Zhu, Zhiying Kong, Liang Zhu*

Background and objectives: The main issues should be solved in Chinese hospital management process are illustrated as long registration time and waiting list, extensive prescription dealing period and short duration of General Practitioner consultation. In order to improve healthcare process and patients’ satisfactory level, a large amount of hospitals is engaging in developing mobile health applications. However, the research on the impact of mobile health applications use (MHAU) on patients’ satisfactory level and treatment quality are quite few. This research is concentrated on evaluating patients’ satisfaction and healthcare service quality via empirical analysis.

Methods: We established one model based on literature review, which related to MHAU, clinical process change perceived by patient, service quality, and patient satisfaction. Additionally, the mature scale were selected and revised as a survey instrument in this study, and was conducted at Shenzhen Ophthalmic Hospital using a paper questionnaire. In terms of the survey, patients are randomly selected to fill out the form during December 2018 to January 2019. Further, the research model and hypotheses has been verified with assistance of regression analysis.

Results: The results demonstrated that the MHAU on the patient’s satisfaction is significant and direct (b=0.162, p=0.000<0.01), rather than on the service quality of hospital (b=-0.011, p=0.665). Additionally, the initial effect of MHAU is on the clinical process change perceived by patient (b=0.456, p=0.000<0.01), and then the effect will extend the service quality of hospital (b=0.316, p=0.000<0.01). The physician-patient interaction is an important factor that positively affects the service quality of hospital (b=0.342, p=0.000<0.01). Meanwhile, convenience is another important factor for patients to consider the service quality of hospital, and it has a positive and significant impact on patient satisfaction (b=0.120, p=0.000<0.01).

Conclusion: Hospital managers should not only pay attention to the management of system usage, but also to organizational factors that affect the results of system usage, such as the clinical process change perceived by patients. The dimension of convenience should be considered when evaluating the service quality of hospital, especially for large hospitals with large outpatient service. In addition, the managers should pay attention to enhancing the initiative of physician-patient interaction, as it is an important factor affecting patients’ perception of the services quality. This study provides a reference for investigations in ophthalmic hospital scene and needs to be confirmed further in other hospital scenarios.