BACKGROUND
Internet hospital has become a new trend of medical service, but there is no research on the competitive strategy of internet hospitals from the point of internet hospital market analysis. However, the correct competitive strategy is the guarantee to realize the benign operation of the enterprise.
OBJECTIVE
The study on competitive strategies of internet hospitals aims to provide basic ideas for the high-quality development of internet hospitals.
METHODS
In this study, an internet hospital built by a public tertiary hospital in Tianjin was the research object. Porter's Five Forces model was used to analyze the threat of competitors, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of purchasers of the internet hospital.
RESULTS
The 7 local internet hospitals and 2 famous medical information technology enterprises-led internet hospitals were included in the study. The internet hospital as research object faces the dual competitive pressure from local physical hospitals-led internet hospitals and internet hospitals led by well-known medical information technology enterprises. There is a gap between the clinical specialty characteristics of it and those of internet hospitals built by local specialty hospitals. The bargaining power of doctors of it is lower than that of medical information technology enterprise-led internet hospitals and there is no bargaining space for patients. The competition of the digital medical consortium using the internet hospital as a platform is fierce and the main competitor of it is WeDoctor. The doctors resources of it are fewer than those of the enterprise-led HaoDaiFu and WeDoctor and it can't provide rapid online diagnosis and treatment services.
CONCLUSIONS
Internet hospitals are a new trend in medical service. Porter's Five Forces model analyzes the competitive situation faced by internet hospital from five aspects. The corresponding competitive strategies are proposed. Internet hospital should focus on the service radius, sustainable development, medical service content, cooperation and patients' interests. This study provides theoretical and practical basis for analyzing the development strategy of internet hospitals, fills the gap in the strategic research of internet hospitals and provides basic ideas for the high-quality development of internet hospitals.