Improving patients' satisfaction through service digitalization: a cross-sectional study based on the theory of...

The digital transformation of medical services promotes innovation in medical services, changes service models, optimizes medical processes, improves service quality, and ultimately enhances patient experience and satisfaction. This study aims to explore the relationship between digital transformation of medical services and patient satisfaction.

A cross-sectional online-based survey was conducted with 348 respondents in January and February 2023. We employed the Patient Psychological Empowerment Scale, Patient Satisfaction Scale, and Technology Readiness Scale to measure the digital transformation of medical services, patient psychological empowerment, patient satisfaction, and technology readiness, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Scale dimensions and item reliability were tested for their validity and goodness of fit. SPSS v26.0、AMOS v23.0 and the Andrew F. Hayes PROCESS macro were used for data management and analyses.

The digital transformation of medical services has a significant positive impact on patient satisfaction (B = 0.387, t = 8.476, P < 0.001), and patient psychological empowerment positively moderated (B = 0.219, t = 4.650, P < 0.001). The digital transformation of medical services has a significant positive impact on patient psychological empowerment (B = 0.447, t = 9.266, P < 0.001), and patient psychological empowerment had a significant positive impact on patient satisfaction (B = 0.366, t = 7.896, P < 0.001). In addition, the results of random sampling showed that psychological capital mediated the effect of digital transformation of healthcare services on patient satisfaction. The interaction term of digital transformation of healthcare services and technology readiness has a significant positive impact on patients' psychological empowerment (B = 0.192, t = 4.477, P < 0.001), and technology readiness plays a positive moderating role.

This study shows that digital transformation positively affects patient satisfaction through psychological empowerment and is moderated by technology readiness. By investigating the moderating role of technological readiness, this study fills the gap in the psychological empowerment mechanism in the relationship between digital transformation of healthcare services and patient satisfaction, and provides theoretical and practical guidance for hospital administrators to optimize digital services and health policy implementation.