Online Healthcare Service in relation to Customer Acceptance and Customer Decision Making: A COVID-19 Perspective

Digital health, also known as digitalization in healthcare is a growing industry that is bringing several benefits to people around the globe. Online healthcare services are playing a major role in the digital transformation of the health sector. While there are various advantages of digitalization of health services including sharing medical history, easier and faster access of healthcare services, electronic data collection, reduced costs of building infrastructure, and efficiency in the delivery of healthcare services. On the other hand, this also poses challenges in the acceptance of customers and their decision-making towards online health services So, this research focuses on customer acceptance and customer decision-making for online healthcare services with digital transformation. There are two dependent variables in this research including customer acceptance and customer decision making and one independent variable of online healthcare service. The variable of digital transformation plays the role of mediator between online healthcare service and customer acceptance and decision making. Technology acceptance model is the underpinning theory of this research with the consumer decision-making model as a supporting theory. Quantitative research methodology was used by utilizing a survey strategy via questionnaire and data were collected from the customers of online healthcare services residing in Lahore. Moreover, SEM has been used for data analysis via AMOS. Out of four hypotheses of this study, three hypotheses (H2, H3, and H4) have been accepted and one hypothesis (H1) has been rejected as explained in the findings. The findings of this research are beneficial for future researchers as it adds to the existing knowledge and provides recommendations for future research. The findings of this research are beneficial for hospital administration and policymakers to help customers in catering their problems regarding online healthcare services and making lives better for society.