2021 Volume 77 Issue 2 Pages 113-122
In recent years, demand for medical care in Japan has been increasing. “Connected Medicine,” which incorporates ideas of ICT and MaaS, is being promoted for better patient convenience and reduction of burdens placed on medical personnel. Moreover, under the COVID-19 epidemic, it is expected to be used actively to reduce risks of infection. For this study based on results of our original questionnaire survey, we analyzed changes in intentions to use connected medicine before and after COVID-19 and factors underlying those changes. Results showed the following. 1) Benefits of “Connected Medicine” are the elimination of hospital visits and waiting times, but a shortcoming is the accuracy of diagnosis. 2) Intentions for using “Connected Medicine” have changed with the prevalence of COVID-19. The intention to use “Connected Medicine” has been particularly high for online medical services. 3) Differences in usage intentions depend on personal attributes, hospital visit behavior, the type of medical practice, and other factors.
