Ye Aishan, Deng Yangyang, Li Xiaohua, Shao Guosong
Yonyou Digital and Intelligence School, Nantong Institute of Technology, Nantong, China.
Business School, Nantong Institute of Technology, Nantong, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 28;14(1):31041. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-82268-z.
China faces substantial challenges in healthcare access and quality, marked by significant regional disparities. While the potential of informatization to enhance healthcare services is increasingly acknowledged, the specific mechanisms through which it impacts healthcare delivery remain underexplored. By employing provincial panel data and dynamic spatial panel models, we aim to uncover the mechanisms through which informatization impacts healthcare delivery. Our findings reveal notable regional differences, with the Eastern and Central regions leading in service levels, while the Western and Northeastern regions lag behind. Both informatization development and healthcare services demonstrate significant spatial interaction effects, indicating that improvements in informatization can positively influence healthcare services overall. However, the impact varies: while informatization benefits the Northeastern and Western regions, its effect in the Eastern region is not statistically significant, and the Central region experiences a negative impact. Furthermore, advancements in informatization in the Eastern and Central regions have the potential to enhance healthcare services in the Western and Northeastern regions. By providing empirical insights that identify key digital factors to enhance healthcare efficiency and quality, this study can assist policymakers in China and around the world in adopting more effective strategies to reduce the digital divide in healthcare and promote the development of more equitable and efficient healthcare systems.
中国在医疗服务可及性和质量上面临重大挑战，显著的地区差异是其特征。虽然信息化提升医疗服务的潜力日益得到认可，但信息化影响医疗服务提供的具体机制仍未得到充分探索。通过运用省级面板数据和动态空间面板模型，我们旨在揭示信息化影响医疗服务提供的机制。我们的研究结果显示出显著的地区差异，东部和中部地区的服务水平领先，而西部和东北地区则落后。信息化发展和医疗服务都表现出显著的空间交互效应，这表明信息化的改善能够对整体医疗服务产生积极影响。然而，影响各不相同：信息化对东北地区和西部地区有益，但其在东部地区的影响在统计上不显著，而中部地区则受到负面影响。此外，东部和中部地区信息化的进步有可能提升西部和东北地区的医疗服务。通过提供实证见解，确定提高医疗效率和质量的关键数字因素，本研究可以帮助中国和世界各地的政策制定者采取更有效的策略，缩小医疗领域的数字鸿沟，促进更公平、高效的医疗系统发展。
