Using technological innovation to improve health care utilization in China’s hospitals: the emerging ‘online’ health service delivery

Abstract

This article shows how the Internet and mobile technologies are being adopted by Chinese hospitals to reduce the difficulties that patients face in obtaining hospital services. It presents the ways in which new technologies reduces the number of queuing patients at the hospital and the overall service time associated with accessing hospital services, while increasing the service volume and number of service providers in China’s health sector. Although the online platform reduces patients’ difficulties in obtaining hospital services, reform efforts should still be made offline to solve the issues that trouble the Chinese health care sector in the long run.