Preferences for "Internet + nursing" services among community residents in Suzhou city based on a discrete choice experiment

ObjectiveTo investigate the preferences of community residents in Suzhou for "Internet+nursing" services using a discrete choice experiment,and to provide a reference for enhancing service uptake and establishing a scientific service delivery model.MethodsA discrete choice experiment was conducted via a questionnaire survey among 522 residents from three administrative districts in Suzhou. A mixed Logit model was employed using Stata 15.0 to quantify preference coefficients for service attributes,and to calculate willingness⁃to-pay and relative importance.ResultsResidents in Suzhou preferred service plans characterized by lower out⁃of⁃pocket costs,one⁃day advance appointment scheduling,nurses with over 10 years of work experience,shorter service duration,and service provision by community health centers,public secondary hospitals,or public tertiary hospitals(P<0.05).The impact of changes in different attributes on choice probability varied.ConclusionsNursing cost,the type of healthcare institution providing the service,nurses' years of experience,and appointment waiting time are key attributes influencing residents' choices.Service attributes of "Internet+nursing" should be optimized based on the preference characteristics of Suzhou residents,with a focus on enhancing the supply of services from public healthcare institutions and senior nurses to align with resident needs and improve service utilization.