Physician Satisfaction With Clinical Decision Support Systems: Impact of Technology Identity and Computer Self-Efficacy

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) use data analytics to provide critical information to aid physicians’ decision-making. With timely access to data considered crucial in effective healthcare delivery, CDSS are vital for improving healthcare outcomes. Nevertheless, physician satisfaction is key to their adoption. Previous articles on the adoption of CDSS by physicians have focused on their system-related structures, however there is a lack of research on system identity. This article aims to fill this important gap by integrating the theories of task-technology fit (TTF) and information technology (IT) identity into a research model that explains physicians’ satisfaction with CDSS. To validate the model, data were collected from 349 Chinese physicians who use CDSS in clinical practice via an online questionnaire. The article's findings demonstrate that TTF positively influences CDSS identity. CDSS identity not only impacts physician satisfaction directly but also serves as a mediator in the influence of TTF on their satisfaction. Moreover, computer self-efficacy (CSE) was found to act as a negative moderator between TTF and CDSS identity, indicating that higher levels of CSE weaken the impact of TTF on CDSS identity. This article extends current understanding on physician satisfaction with CDSS by integrating IT identity with TTF in healthcare IT research. In doing so, this research integration contributes to the more effective application of CDSS in healthcare settings.