**4. Research methodology**

### **4.1. Research hypothesis**

This study's main focus was to investigate the satisfaction and usage levels associated with the online clinical diagnosis and treatment guideline system and the relationship between medical professional employees' knowledge management behavior and net benefit and to further explore relationships between various dimensions.

This study presented the following hypotheses:

H1: An online clinical guideline system use has a significant positive impact on its user satisfaction.

H2: An online clinical guideline system use has a significant positive impact on individual knowledge management behavior.

H3: An online clinical guideline system use has a significant positive impact on individual net benefit.

H4: An online clinical guideline system's user satisfaction has a significant positive impact on individual knowledge management behavior.

H5: An online clinical guideline system's user satisfaction has a significant positive impact on individual net benefit.

H6: Individual knowledge management behavior has a significant positive impact on indi‐ vidual net benefit.

### **4.2. Research design**

This study investigated a medical center in Tainan, primarily focusing on some of the center's resident physicians, part‐time physicians, practicing physicians, medical interns, and special‐ ist assistants, and conducted questionnaire‐based surveys and investigation. It investigates the users, including 120 physicians and 80 physician assistants (PAs) who used the online clinical guidelines in a medical center of southern Taiwan. A total of 195 of the 200 question‐ naires surveyed including 111 physicians and 70 PA are effective, leading to 97.5% effective response rate.
