Integration of online and offline health services: The role of doctor-patient online interaction

Objective: This study aims to investigate how doctor-patient online interaction affects the integration of online and offline health services. Drawing on justice theory and the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, justice perceptions are conceptualized as online health communication in influencing patient experiences and subsequent responses. Methods: Data were collected from 241 online consultation patients. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to test the research model and 12 hypothesized relationships. Results: Distributive justice, procedural justice, and interpersonal justice significantly affect trust, which in turn affects satisfaction and the continued intention to consult. Distributive justice and informational justice significantly affect satisfaction, which in turn affects the continued intention to consult. Finally, the continued intention to consult significantly affects the behavioral intention to visit. Conclusion: Doctors can attract patients to visit them in physical hospitals by providing good online health services. Before physically visiting doctors, patients can also search for a suitable doctor that meets their needs through online consultations. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to integrate online and offline health services. Practice implications: From the perspective of health communication, the understanding of doctor-patient online interaction offers doctors and hospitals guidance to improve doctor-patient relationships.