The Role of Market Demand in Enhancing Transformation Effect in the Healthy Elderly in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Abstract

This study explores the dynamic role of digital intelligence in service innovation and the moderating effect of market demand on transformation effects in the healthy elderly care sector of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Against the backdrop of the region’s aging rate (22.65%) exceeding the national average, traditional elderly care models face supply-demand imbalances, while digital intelligence offers industrial transformation opportunities.

A mixed-methods approach was adopted: 400 valid questionnaires (from practitioners, the elderly, and their children) were analyzed via structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and 15 key informants were interviewed to supplement findings. Results show that: 1) Digital Intelligence Application (DGIL) has a significant positive direct impact on Transformation Effect (TFME) (β=0.955, p<0.01); 2) Service Innovation (SVIN) partially mediates the DGIL-TFME relationship (indirect effect β=-0.117, p<0.01) but exhibits a negative direct effect (β=-0.163, p<0.01) due to user-unfriendly designs; 3) Market Demand (MKDM) negatively moderates the DGIL-TFME relationship (interaction term β=-0.064, p<0.01), as the elderly’s low technology acceptance constrains effectiveness. This study enriches digital transformation theory in elderly care and provides practical guidance for optimizing services, policies, and products.