Digital Consumer Behaviour in Telemedicine Service Adoption

Abstract

Social media platforms have become central to how hospitals build, manage, and repair their public reputation. This paper examines the social media marketing strategies used by hospitals to strengthen brand trust, patient engagement, and overall reputation in an increasingly digital healthcare marketplace. As patients turn to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms not only for health information but also to gauge a hospital's credibility through doctor content, patient testimonials, and community engagement, hospitals face growing pressure to maintain an active, authentic, and responsive social media presence. This study investigates which content types, platforms, and engagement practices most strongly influence hospital reputation, and identifies gaps in current hospital social media strategy. Primary data was collected through a structured survey of hospital marketing personnel and patients, supplemented with secondary data from hospital social media analytics, industry reports, and academic literature. Findings reveal that doctor-led educational content and prompt responses to patient queries and complaints are the strongest reputation drivers, while inconsistent posting and delayed crisis response are the leading causes of reputation erosion. The study recommends a structured content calendar, platform-specific engagement protocols, and a formal social media crisis-response plan to help hospitals convert social media presence into measurable reputation gains.Telemedicine has transitioned from a niche healthcare delivery channel into a mainstream service, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising smartphone penetration, and expanding internet connectivity. This paper examines digital consumer behaviour in the adoption of telemedicine services, applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, digital literacy, and privacy concerns shape a consumer's decision to adopt or reject virtual healthcare platforms. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 150 respondents across diverse age groups and occupations. Secondary data was drawn from WHO reports, NITI Aayog publications, industry whitepapers, and academic literature. Findings indicate that convenience, time savings, and perceived usefulness are the strongest drivers of adoption, while data privacy concerns, lack of digital literacy among older consumers, and limited trust in remote diagnosis remain significant barriers. The study recommends targeted digitalliteracy initiatives, stronger data-protection assurances, and hybrid care models to widen telemedicine adoption across demographic segments.