Factors Affecting Medical Students’ Continuance Intention to Use Mobile Health Applications

Abstract

Background

With the dramatic growth in smartphones, mobile health applications (apps) in the field of healthcare or medicine, which are characterized by strong operability, flexibility and interactivity, provide a supplementary approach to medical learning. The aims of this study were to awaken medical students to pay more attention to the learning function of mobile health app and gain deeper insight into our understanding of the factors influencing medical students’ mobile health apps continuance intention for enhancing practical utilization.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-designed questionnaire administered to medical students at Chongqing Medical University. Data were collected from 450 participants from March to April 2019. SPSS V.25 was used for the descriptive statistical analysis of the results. Smart PLS 3.2.7 was used to construct a structural equation modelling framework to estimate the influencing factors of medical students’ continuance intention to use mobile health apps.

Results

The external characteristics of mobile health apps had a positive influence on perceived ease of use (β = 0.378, P < 0.001). Perceived ease of use had a positive impact on perceived usefulness (β = 0.573, P < 0.001). Perceived ease of use (β = 0.195, P = 0.011), perceived usefulness (β = 0.450, P < 0.001) and subjective norms (β = 0.255, P < 0.001) had a positive impact on attitude towards using mobile health apps. Additionally, perceived usefulness (β = 0.202, P < 0.001) and attitude (β = 0.730, P < 0.001) had a remarkable influence on continuance intention. Furthermore, the mediating effect of attitude between perceived usefulness and continuance intention was significant (β = 0.329, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Both perceived usefulness and attitude have a significant effect on medical students’ mobile health apps continuance intention. So, we suggest apps providers and developers evoking and maintaining users’ interest in mobile health apps and perfecting apps’ features from various aspect. Also, more attention should be paid on social relationship to introduce medical students to familiarize mobile health apps and strengthen adhesiveness of medical students.

Keywords:

• mobile apps
• medical students
• structural equation modelling
• continuance intention

Abbreviations

App, Application; SEM, Structural equation modeling; PLS, Partial least squares; CR, Composite reliability; AVE, Average variance extracted; TAM, Technology acceptance model; TPB, Theory of planned behavior; UTAUT, Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants who took part in the questionnaire survey. Furthermore, we are also very thankful to all the reviewers for their careful examination of this paper.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest for this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Ministry of Education in China’s Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (20YJCZH043), Intelligent Medicine Research Project of Chongqing Medical University (ZHYX2019006), Chongqing Federation of Social Sciences (PY2018043) and Intelligent Medicine Research Project of Chongqing Medical University (ZHYX202029).