Medical Personnel Behavior Preferences for Providing mHealth Service in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate factors affecting medical personnel behavioral preferences for providing mHealth in China, so as to provide decision-making basis for mHealth providers and managers to encourage more doctors to participate in mHealth service delivery. METHODS: Typical case sampling techniques were applied in a hospital setting to conduct a discrete choice experimental questionnaire survey of doctors (n=216) concerning mHealth preferences between July and October 2022. A conditional logit model was used to assess medical personnel preferences for each attribute and level of mHealth services. RESULTS: Length of service, information security, subjects of treatment and financial compensation all have a significant effect on medical staff’s preference for providing mHealth services (p < 0.05). In terms of service duration and financial compensation, medical staff preferred mHealth services that provided shorter service duration and higher financial compensation; in terms of information security, medical staff preferred mHealth services with confidentiality of diagnostic and therapeutic information compared to information disclosure; and in terms of treatment targets, medical staff preferred the general population compared to key populations, such as pregnant women, the elderly, infants and children. CONCLUSION: The preference of medical professionals to provide mHealth services is affected by a variety of factors. By enhancing the confidentiality of information in mHealth services, providing more options for service recipients, increasing their financial compensation, and shortening the duration of the service or increasing the number of service hours that can be adjusted can guide improvement of mHealth services and promoting of its adoption among medical professionals.