Zhang Runtong, Lu Xinyi, Wu Wen, Shang Xiaopu
School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Shangyuancun 3, Haidian District, Beijing, 100044, China.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 May 10;19(1):301. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4127-9.
In general, medical regimens and treatments are more likely to be effective if patients follow their physicians' advice. However, limited studies have focused on the relationship between regulatory focus and patient adherence. This study explores the antecedents of patient adherence employing regulatory focus theory.
This study established a research model consisting of two independent variables, two mediators, one dependent variable, two moderators, three control variables, and six hypotheses. An online survey involving 336 valid responses was conducted to collect data in China. We used structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis to test the hypotheses and to develop the research model.
The reliability and validity of the measures were accepted. In terms of control variables, age had a positive effect on conservative treatment-related health information seeking behaviour, and patients with different resident statuses held different attitudes towards seeking conservative treatment-related health information. However, educational level did not have any effect on the variables of the research model. The hypothesis testing results corroborate that promotion focus had a positive impact on patients' emerging treatment-related health information seeking behaviour; prevention focus had a positive impact on patients' conservative treatment-related health information seeking behaviour, which had a positive impact on patient adherence. In addition, media campaigns had a positive impact on the relationship between promotion focus and emerging treatment-related health information seeking behaviour, and website reputation had a positive impact on the relationship between prevention focus and conservative treatment-related health information seeking behaviour.
Individuals can be encouraged to seek health information and share health-related knowledge through mass media, such as the Internet, when the quality of information, especially information from online sources, is guaranteed. In addition, physicians need to improve their professionalism and expand their knowledge of conservative healthcare. As a further application of our work, an Internet information recommendation system can be designed to recommend different types of health information for users according to their regulatory focus.
一般来说，如果患者遵循医生的建议，医疗方案和治疗更有可能有效。然而，仅有有限的研究关注调节焦点与患者依从性之间的关系。本研究运用调节焦点理论探讨患者依从性的影响因素。
本研究建立了一个由两个自变量、两个中介变量、一个因变量、两个调节变量、三个控制变量和六个假设组成的研究模型。在中国进行了一项在线调查，共收集到336份有效回复的数据。我们使用结构方程模型和验证性因子分析来检验假设并构建研究模型。
各项测量的信效度均得到认可。在控制变量方面，年龄对寻求保守治疗相关健康信息的行为有正向影响，不同户籍状态的患者对寻求保守治疗相关健康信息持有不同态度。然而，教育水平对研究模型中的变量没有任何影响。假设检验结果证实，促进焦点对患者寻求新兴治疗相关健康信息的行为有正向影响；预防焦点对患者寻求保守治疗相关健康信息的行为有正向影响，而这又对患者依从性有正向影响。此外，媒体宣传活动对促进焦点与新兴治疗相关健康信息寻求行为之间的关系有正向影响，网站声誉对预防焦点与保守治疗相关健康信息寻求行为之间的关系有正向影响。
当信息质量，特别是来自在线来源的信息质量得到保证时，可以鼓励个人通过互联网等大众媒体寻求健康信息并分享健康相关知识。此外，医生需要提高其专业素养并扩展其保守医疗知识。作为我们工作的进一步应用，可以设计一个互联网信息推荐系统，根据用户的调节焦点为其推荐不同类型的健康信息。
