Patient 2.0 – What Predicts Usage of Physician-Rating Apps?
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Abstract
Background: There is an increasing interest by physicians, patients, and industry in Physician-Rating Websites (PRWs). Similar to developments in most consumer markets, it can be expected that patients will increasingly access such PRWs via mobile apps. However, there has been little discussion about what kind of variables may predict usage of mobile PRW apps.
Objective: The study analyses sociodemographic, psychographic variables and variables of Internet usage in order to predict evaluation of, willingness to make use of and willingness to pay for mobile PRW apps.
Methods: An online survey of 1006 randomly selected German patients was conducted. Data were analysed by using three multiple regression models (calculated with SPSS, version 20); missing values, multicollinearity and normality were checked.
Results: Evaluation of a mobile PRW app can be predicted by the sociodemographic variables gender (B=-.252, p=.032) and age (B=-.014, p=.004). Men and younger patients are more prone to appreciate such an app. Feelings about the Internet and Web 2.0 in general (B=.342, p=.000), trust in Physician-Rating Websites (PRWs) (B=.199, p=.001) and judgement of the usefulness of Rating-Websites compared to other information sources like family etc. (B=.206, p=.001) were significant predictors. Additionally, one factor contributed also significantly to the prediction of evaluation: personality of the patient as information seeker (B=.113, p=.010). Digital literacy (B=.107, p=.101) did not excert a significant influence. Use of different technologies (i.e. smartphone, tablet, B=.277, p=.001), total daily Internet private use for health related information (B=.102,p=.014) and the frequency of using apps for health related information search (B=.123, p=.007) also influenced evaluation of mobile PRW apps significantly. The variables explained 39.7 % of variance of evaluation of mobile PRWs app.
A second multiple regression was calculated with the same predictors above for the dependent variable “willingness to use such an appâ€. The variables explained 41.8 % of variance. A difference emerged for the total daily Internet private use for health related information (B=.036, n.s.), which was no significant predictor in this multiple regression. A third multiple regression was calculated with the same predictors for the dependent variable “willingness to pay for such an app†leading to 30.4 % of explained variance, with only some of the variables above remaining significant: frequency of using apps for health related information search (B=.267, p=.000), trust in Physician-Rating Websites (PRWs) (B=.253, p=.000), the personality of the patient as information seeker referring to visiting a doctor (B=.162, p=.000), feelings about the Internet and Web 2.0 in general (B=.107, p=.045) and use of different technologies (i.e. smartphone, tablet, B=.149, p=.035). Additionally, the perceived ease of use of the Internet for searching health related information contributed significantly (B=.170, p=.009) in this regression, not in the others.
Conclusion: A PRW app may be very useful in certain circumstances e.g. when a patient is on a journey or a physician’s ordination is unexpectedly closed. Sociodemographic, psychographic and behavioral variables of Internet use contribute to the evaluation of, willingness to make use of and willingness to pay for mobile PRW apps. The results of this study are useful for creators of mobile PRW apps.
Objective: The study analyses sociodemographic, psychographic variables and variables of Internet usage in order to predict evaluation of, willingness to make use of and willingness to pay for mobile PRW apps.
Methods: An online survey of 1006 randomly selected German patients was conducted. Data were analysed by using three multiple regression models (calculated with SPSS, version 20); missing values, multicollinearity and normality were checked.
Results: Evaluation of a mobile PRW app can be predicted by the sociodemographic variables gender (B=-.252, p=.032) and age (B=-.014, p=.004). Men and younger patients are more prone to appreciate such an app. Feelings about the Internet and Web 2.0 in general (B=.342, p=.000), trust in Physician-Rating Websites (PRWs) (B=.199, p=.001) and judgement of the usefulness of Rating-Websites compared to other information sources like family etc. (B=.206, p=.001) were significant predictors. Additionally, one factor contributed also significantly to the prediction of evaluation: personality of the patient as information seeker (B=.113, p=.010). Digital literacy (B=.107, p=.101) did not excert a significant influence. Use of different technologies (i.e. smartphone, tablet, B=.277, p=.001), total daily Internet private use for health related information (B=.102,p=.014) and the frequency of using apps for health related information search (B=.123, p=.007) also influenced evaluation of mobile PRW apps significantly. The variables explained 39.7 % of variance of evaluation of mobile PRWs app.
A second multiple regression was calculated with the same predictors above for the dependent variable “willingness to use such an appâ€. The variables explained 41.8 % of variance. A difference emerged for the total daily Internet private use for health related information (B=.036, n.s.), which was no significant predictor in this multiple regression. A third multiple regression was calculated with the same predictors for the dependent variable “willingness to pay for such an app†leading to 30.4 % of explained variance, with only some of the variables above remaining significant: frequency of using apps for health related information search (B=.267, p=.000), trust in Physician-Rating Websites (PRWs) (B=.253, p=.000), the personality of the patient as information seeker referring to visiting a doctor (B=.162, p=.000), feelings about the Internet and Web 2.0 in general (B=.107, p=.045) and use of different technologies (i.e. smartphone, tablet, B=.149, p=.035). Additionally, the perceived ease of use of the Internet for searching health related information contributed significantly (B=.170, p=.009) in this regression, not in the others.
Conclusion: A PRW app may be very useful in certain circumstances e.g. when a patient is on a journey or a physician’s ordination is unexpectedly closed. Sociodemographic, psychographic and behavioral variables of Internet use contribute to the evaluation of, willingness to make use of and willingness to pay for mobile PRW apps. The results of this study are useful for creators of mobile PRW apps.
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