Preference of Healthcare App Selection Among Physicians, Chronic Patients, and the Healthy Individuals: A Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background: Owing to the rapid proliferation of healthcare applications (apps), consumers find it challenging to determine which apps suit their needs best. The Korean government introduced a certification program in 2022 to ensure the safety of health service apps, similar to several countries that have sought to guide and protect users. Objective: This study aims to identify the factors influencing the choice of healthcare service apps among physicians, chronic patients, and healthy individuals. Methods: We conducted a choice-based conjoint analysis with six factors (Number of studies on effectiveness, Frequency of delivering information, Cybersecurity and data safety, User satisfaction, Stamp of approval, Costs). A total of 1093 people (97 physicians, 589 chronic patients, and 407 healthy individuals) participated in the online survey. Result: Across all groups, cybersecurity and data safety were the most important preference factors (Chronic patients: β=0.795, CI 95% CI 0.750–0.840, Healthy individuals: β=1.127, CI 95% CI 1.066–1.188, Physicians: β=0.560, CI 95% CI 0.459–0.662). All groups were more willing to pay approximately $6 for cybersecurity and data safety and approximately $5 for certification. Conclusion: Digital healthcare technology will continue to evolve, and more healthcare apps are expected to be developed. For the effective use of these services, it is imperative to check user preferences. Governments that manage and authorize these services also need to implement policies based on the needs of users and providers.