Bridging the Intention–Behavior Gap in eHealth Use among Chinese Medical Students: The Role of Trust and Privacy Risk Perception

Abstract

Background eHealth utilizes technology to enhance healthcare services, but its adoption is hindered by the intention-behavior gap (IBG). It is important to understand the intention-behavior use of eHealth among medical students, who can play a significant role in the promotion of eHealth use. Objective 1) whether there is an IBG in eHealth use among Chinese medical students; 2) whether intuitive (e.g., trust in eHealth information) and deliberate (e.g., eHealth literacy) processes are mediators in the intention-behavior use of eHealth, and 3) how the motivation processes (e.g., privacy risk perception of eHealth) potentially moderate the eHealth use intention and intuitive or deliberate processes relationship. Methods All measures were self-reported by 363 Chinese medical students. SPSS macro-PROCESS was used to explore mediation and moderation effects between the intention to use and actual use of eHealth. Results Only 22% of students who reported eHealth use intention used eHealth services, particularly telemedicine. Trust in eHealth information mediated the relationship between use intention and actual use of eHealth (95% CI [0.003, 0.048]). Privacy risk perception of eHealth moderated this mediation relationship (95% CI [0.09, 0.009]). However, eHealth literacy did not mediate the relationship between use intention and actual use of eHealth. Conclusion The association between Chinese medical students’ eHealth use intention and actual eHealth use is partially mediated by their trust in eHealth information, which is moderated by their privacy risk perceptions. Enhancing students’ trust in eHealth information and reducing their concerns about privacy risks can be integrated into future medical training programs.