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Effects of Online–Offline Service Integration on e‐Healthcare Providers: A Quasi‐Natural Experiment

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  • Ni Huang
  • Zhijun Yan
  • Haonan Yin

Abstract

E‐healthcare platforms start to integrate medical services across online and offline channels, where providers can perform online consultations, schedule patients’ offline visits, synchronize relevant medical records, and finally, answer online inquiries regarding follow‐up and recovery anytime and anywhere within one operations management function (i.e., online–offline service integration). In this study, we seek to quantify the effects of online–offline service integration on the e‐healthcare providers’ demand and reputational outcomes, noting that it is not altogether clear how the service integration function will affect the providers who adopt such a function in e‐healthcare platforms. Leveraging a quasi‐natural experiment on an e‐healthcare platform, we conducted difference‐in‐differences analyses in tandem with a variety of matching strategies, including propensity score matching and look‐ahead propensity score matching. Furthermore, we explored the moderating roles of provider‐specific characteristics. Our results reveal a set of robust and interesting findings: (i) e‐healthcare providers, on average, experience increases in online demand and decreases in offline demand post online–offline service integration; (ii) the service integration function also improves the professional reputation of participating providers; (iii) the impact of channel integration on the outcomes is weaker for providers with lower (vs. higher) professional titles; and (iv) the providers who specialize in treating chronic (vs. acute) diseases experience greater increases in online demand and reputational outcomes, yet insignificant changes in offline demand. This work contributes to related prior literatures on healthcare operations management, e‐healthcare, and online–offline channel integration, offering design implications for the service operations of e‐healthcare platforms.

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  • Ni Huang & Zhijun Yan & Haonan Yin, 2021. "Effects of Online–Offline Service Integration on e‐Healthcare Providers: A Quasi‐Natural Experiment," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(8), pages 2359-2378, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popmgt:v:30:y:2021:i:8:p:2359-2378
    DOI: 10.1111/poms.13381
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    3. Kumar, Anil & Naz, Farheen & Luthra, Sunil & Vashistha, Rajat & Kumar, Vikas & Garza-Reyes, Jose Arturo & Chhabra, Deepak, 2023. "Digging DEEP: Futuristic building blocks of omni-channel healthcare supply chains resiliency using machine learning approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Liu, Huiyuan & Perera, Sandun C. & Wang, Jian-Jun & Leonhardt, James M., 2023. "Physician engagement in online medical teams: A multilevel investigation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    5. Qing Ye & Hong Wu, 2023. "Offline to online: The impacts of offline visit experience on online behaviors and service in an Internet hospital," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Singha, Sumanta & Arha, Himanshu & Kar, Arpan Kumar, 2023. "Healthcare analytics: A techno-functional perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    7. Peiyu Zhou & Yuguang Xie & Changyong Liang & Junhong Zhu & Shuping Zhao, 2024. "The effect of prosocial behavior and its intensity on doctors’ performance in an online health community," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.

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