Factors Related to Reuse of Hospital Internet Services by Patients Based on the Technology Acceptance Model: A Case Study on Hospitals in Mashhad, Iran

Many public and service-providing organizations use the Internet in order to provide their clients with optimal services. For this purpose, this study aimed to determine the factors associated with returning of hospital patients to hospital
web services.
The survey research method was used in this study. The population of this study included all returning patients to the Internet services of hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. Convenience sampling method was used to select 160 participants. The required data were collected through questionnaires. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
The path coefficient of patients’ attitude toward using the Internet on their orientation was equal to 0.389, which shows a significant positive impact. The path coefficients of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of clients of hospitals’ Internet services were 0.314 and 0.403, respectively, which show a positive and significant effect. The path coefficient of clients’ tendency toward using hospitals’ Internet services over the patients’ reuse of online services was 0.354, which indicates a positive and significant impact. The research findings also indicated the significant and positive impact of perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness with the path coefficient of 0.563.
Facilitating the use of hospital electronic systems and providing the necessary training is recommended to increase the use of hospitals’ Internet services, reduce the number of hospital visitors, and familiarize clients with the advantages of these Internet-based services.