earticle

영어

Policy strategies for digital health infrastructure often prioritize well-resourced regions; however, it is unclear whether these are the areas of greatest impact. Using a 24-month panel dataset from a South Korean digital health platform, this study explores how the adoption of self-service technology (SST) influences healthcare use in clinics. We analyze the changes in patient volume, visit frequency, and reimbursement costs following SST adoption. The results show consistent increases across all three outcomes. Importantly, these effects are most pronounced in areas with limited geographic access and higher proportions of elderly population. Applying affordance theory and the concept of “constraint responsiveness,” we challenge the prevailing assumption that digital infrastructure yields the greatest returns in well-resourced regions. Our findings indicate that digital adoption produces greater healthcare utilization in structurally underserved regions, where existing constraints amplify the value of technology.