Purpose: This study aimed to explore the internal determinants affecting patients' utilization of online medical services (OMS) based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model from a behavioral perspective.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: This study was conducted in three medical institutions in Jiangsu Province, China.
Subjects: 470 internet users were enrolled from patients who came to the outpatient clinics.
Measures: A self-administered questionnaire with feasible reliability and validity was used to investigate the demographic characteristics and OMS utilization-related information, motivation, behavioral skills, intention, and behavior.
Analysis: According to the constructed framework, structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships between those factors and OMS utilization behaviors.
Results: All direct paths are established except the path between information and intention. Information and motivation positively affected OMS utilization behavior through behavioral skills and intention (P < .001). Motivation and behavioral skills could positively influence OMS utilization behavior through intention (P < .01). Motivation was found to be the largest predictor of OMS utilization behavior. Moreover, gender played a moderating role in the interpretation of the behavior.
Conclusions: Interventions should be conducted regarding information, motivation, and behavioral skills to promote patients' use of OMS. At the same time, the impact of gender on intervention effectiveness should also be considered.
Keywords: health care; information-motivation-behavioral skills model; online medical services; patient; utilization.