Development prospects of “Internet + medical and health services” in Shandong

Application status and public acceptance

Bibliographic Data

ID22089946
AuthorsYing Gao (0000-0002-6793-9667, Huzhou Women and Children's Hospital, corresponding author), Yingjie Gao (0000-0003-4617-8595), Yaqiong Wang (0000-0001-5848-1220, Huzhou Women and Children's Hospital), Xiaolin Yan (0009-0007-2025-4920, Huzhou Women and Children's Hospital), GuanNan Sun (Huzhou Women and Children's Hospital), Cong Chen (0000-0002-9351-4611, Huzhou Women and Children's Hospital), Xiang Gao (0000-0001-6812-8156, Dezhou University)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1589224-1589224
Publication date2025-08-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589224
PMID40843430
OpenAlexW4413029896
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

Background The integration of Internet technology into healthcare has led to the birth of the “Internet + medical and health services” model-a transformative approach to improving accessibility and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Objective This study aims to assess the current status, challenges, and user perceptions of the “Internet + medical and health” services platform among individuals in Shandong, China. Methods The cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 2023 and October 2023 on patients from public medical institutions in Shandong Province. A structured questionnaire was employed to gather information on the general characteristics of the respondents and information about platform usage and user experiences. Results Of the 400 distributed questionnaires, 353 were valid. Most respondents were female (59.38%), aged 31–35 (28.13%), and held a bachelor's degree (55.97%). Compared to the educational distribution in the census results, individuals with a bachelor's degree or equivalent were significantly overrepresented in the surveyed population (16% vs. 69.61%, p < 0.001). Key barriers included a preference for face-to-face consultations (18%) and data security concerns (15%). Respondents emphasized the need for clearer legal regulations (4.33 ± 0.73) and greater public awareness (4.23 ± 0.68). Conclusions People with higher education levels are more likely to adopt Internet Plus healthcare services, noting the hospital-affiliated platforms as their most-used types. While users appreciate the benefits of digital healthcare, concerns regarding personal information security and regulatory clarity continue to obstruct their wider use. Boosting data security, developing legal frameworks, and increasing user education should be the three central areas of improvement to facilitate a greater degree of acceptance and successful implementation of Internet Plus healthcare services

Bachelor · Business · Computer security · Confidentiality · Environmental health · Health care · Internet privacy · Medical education · Political science · Public health · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Electronic Health Records Systems · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Nursing · Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation