TITLE:
Demographic Characteristics, Service Utilization, and Satisfaction among Users of a Traditional Chinese Medicine Internet Hospital Convenient Dispensing Clinic: A Retrospective Descriptive Study
AUTHORS:
Daniel Ndutta Ernest, Wilmar Vimbainashe Marimira, Shuwei Huang
KEYWORDS:
Sub-Health, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Internet Hospital, Telemedicine, Convenient Dispensing, Health-Seeking Behavior, Digital Health Services, Preventive Health Management
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.6,
June
3,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to investigate the demographic characteristics, geographic distribution patterns, and service utilization behaviors of users seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services through an internet hospital convenient dispensing clinic platform affiliated with a major TCM university hospital, and to evaluate patient satisfaction with these digital TCM services. Methods: A retrospective descriptive design was used to analyze operational platform data extracted from the convenient dispensing clinic of an internet hospital platform connected to a tertiary TCM hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. In total, 25,382 patient records, 77,297 dispensing orders across 333 cities in 30 provincial-level administrative divisions, repurchase records from 73,541 users, and 172 patient satisfaction evaluations were included. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, cross-tabulations, and percentage calculations were employed for data analysis. Results: The platform served users across 30 provincial-level administrative divisions of China. Zhejiang Province contributed the highest proportion of both registered users (22.4%) and orders (32.8%). Female users substantially predominated, making up 80.8% of the registered user base and generating 68.6% of all dispensing orders. The 31 - 40 age group accounted for the largest share of both users (50.6%) and orders (56.3%), with a mean user age of 34.1 years (range: 4 - 85 years). The medication repurchase rate stood at 4.7%, with 3454 out of 73,541 users placing two or more orders. Among the 172 users who submitted evaluations, satisfaction was high: 90.1% awarded the maximum score of 5 out of 5, yielding a mean satisfaction score of 4.82. Geographic analysis revealed a strong concentration of utilization in the Yangtze River Delta region. Conclusion: Internet hospital convenient dispensing clinics serve as an effective channel for delivering TCM services to a geographically diverse population. The predominantly female, young-to-middle-aged user demographic suggests these digital TCM services may be especially attractive to working-age adults, a pattern consistent with the demographic profile of sub-health populations identified in epidemiological surveys, though clinical data would be needed to confirm this interpretation. While satisfaction ratings among the small subset who submitted evaluations were high, the relatively low repurchase rate signals a need for better patient retention through structured follow-up and engagement mechanisms.