Online healthcare platform doctors’ fatigue and continuance use intention based on JD-R model

Abstract

Purpose

The online healthcare platform (OHP) has become an essential element of the healthcare system, representing a technological shift in the job responsibilities of medical professionals. Drawing on a technology-based job demands–resources (JD-R) model, this study aims to examine how the technological characteristics of OHP affect doctors’ OHP use psychology and behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study was based on a survey conducted among 423 doctors with OHP use experience. The proposed model underwent assessment through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to reveal the effects of technology-based job demands (i.e. technology-based work overload and technology-based work monitoring) and resources (i.e. perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and IT mindfulness) on doctors’ OHP fatigue and continuance use intention.

Findings

Results suggest that technology-based work monitoring, perceived usefulness and facilitation conditions have significant impacts on doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses to using OHP, whereas technology-based work overload and IT mindfulness have a single impact on continuance use intention and fatigue of OHP.

Research limitations/implications

It assists doctors, healthcare administrators, policymakers and technology developers in understanding OHPs’ technological characteristics, enabling them to harness its benefits and mitigate potential challenges. Additionally, given the self-reported cross-sectional data from China, future studies can improve generalizability and adopt experimental methods or longitudinal designs with objective data.

Originality/value

It extends the research on OHP by employing a technology-based JD-R model to explore work attributes and dual effects associated with OHP’s technological characteristics. It also enriches existing research by examining the role of OHP’s technological characteristics in doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses.