Exploring diffusion strategies for mHealth promotion using evolutionary game model

Mobile health (mHealth) is an emerging healthcare practice that provides public health information and medical care services using mobile communication devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers. Given the service convenience and the great potential in reducing medical expense, the promotion of mHealth has become an indispensable component of healthcare reform in China. While Chinese government has shown strong support in promoting mHealth, the behaviors of different participants in mHealth have not been well studied, which prevents its fast diffusion in China. In this paper, by analyzing the current status of mHealth in China, we leverage the evolutionary game theory to build a novel model to capture the behaviors of two key participants, e.g., hospitals and patients, in mHealth. We analyze the payoff matrix between hospitals and patients such that a replicator dynamic system can be built. We validate the proposed model with detailed simulations. Our observations benefit not only the mHealth participants but also the government policy makers.