Influence of mechanism of patient-accessible hospital information system implementation on doctor-patient relationships: A service fairness perspective

The relationship between a doctor and a patient plays an important role in patient satisfaction with health-care services. It has become an important and contentious issue in China's health-care reform. This study uses service fairness as a theoretical lens to investigate the influence an implementation of a patient-accessible hospital information system (HIS) has on doctor-patient relationships and patient satisfaction. We developed a research model that relates patient-accessible HIS implementation with perception of service fairness, doctor-patient relationships, and patient satisfaction. Data were collected from patients in one of the biggest hospitals in East China that has implemented patient-accessible HIS. Results of the study show that patient-accessible HIS promotes patients' perception of service fairness, improves doctor-patient relationships, and increases patient satisfaction.