Disparities in Internet Medical Service Utilization Among Patients in Post-COVID-19 China: Cross-Sectional Study of Data From Provincial Field and National Online Surveys.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Internet medical services (IMS) expanded rapidly in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, disparities in internet medical services utilization (IMSU) have marginalized disadvantaged groups of Chinese patients from digital health benefits. The extent and nature of these disparities remain poorly understood, with no research comprehensively addressing how unfavorable predictors, including demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors, shape IMSU status, patterns, and preferences in China after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the disparities and unfavorable predictors that limit IMSU among Chinese adult patients following the COVID-19 pandemic, providing key reference points for advancing equita

SUBMITTER: Sun Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316444 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature