Intentions of using a micro-blog of Taiwan medical tourism: Perspective of international users

• Main Authors: Li, yi pei, 李奕霈
• Other Authors: 張怡秋
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/03207558427038798399

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 醫療資訊管理研究所 === 100 === Recently, due to the rapid development of economy and airline industry, ''medical tourism'' has received high attention in many countries that evokes tremendous business opportunities and economic effects. Taiwan is also part of the global medical tourism movement. Taiwan's department of health has promoted medical truism since 2007 with master plans and built the platform for servicing and marking the international medical truism. As a result, Taiwan is now at the forefront of international medical tourism. There are many successful micro-blogs about medical tourism for non-for-profit organizations in many countries. This study will investigate the effect on marketing methods of Taiwan medical tourism and exam how each Internet platforms as Twitter, Facebook, Plurk and Weibo.com can be of assistance. This study found that the official Micro-blog for Taiwan medical travel has low rate of use and communication. Therefore, this study used survey as research method with a questionnaire using7-point Liker-type rating scale with 1 represents strongly disagree and 7 point as strongly agree. This study use SPSS 18.0 as analysis tool to process descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, validity analysis and factor analysis. The research model is validated by using SmartPLS to estimate path coefficient and R2,and to verify research model’s significance and explanatory power. The survey was conducted from September 21, 2011 to October 5, 2011 and received 129 valid responses out of 132 questionnaires distributed with 3 respondents as Taiwan residences that were not qualified for the survey. This study found Relative Advantage, Perceived Quality Interpersonal Influence, Self-Efficacy, Attitude, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control have a positive impact on the use intention of the Taiwan medical travel micro-blog. External Influence has not significant effect on use intention. Micro-blog of Taiwan medical travel is an important marketing channel for international users. The study found that after these international users used Micro-blog of Taiwan medical travel, most of them have positive impression on it. Male users in Asia region, over 30 years old, and with friends received medical services in Taiwan, have higher intention of using the micro-blog. Since the Micro-blog of Taiwan medical travel was not actively in the past that limited the usage. Therefore, this study suggests the Taiwan government to understand the Asian users’ preferences and language and cooperate with hospitals with patients have received medical treatment in Taiwan to use Micro-blog of Taiwan medical travel. Although most hospital used online platform to promote medical tourism services increasingly and realized the advantage of micro-blog, but they actually do not have enough human resources to operate their blogs. Increasing marketing staff to handle the promotion tasks of medical tourism is necessary. For this study proved that the Micro-blog of Taiwan medical travel can make international users share or retrieve more information of medical tourism services efficiently to enhance the foreigner's willingness to come to Taiwan for medical treatment.