IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v173y2024ics0148296323007634.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of electronic word-of-mouth on patients’ choices in online health communities: A cross-media perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Shan, Wei
  • Wang, Jiaxuan
  • Shi, Xiaoxiao
  • David Evans, Richard

Abstract

Despite extensive research into electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) in the healthcare sector, its impact on patients’ choice of online consultation in Online Health Communities (OHCs) remains largely unexplored. The current study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the heterogeneous effect of different eWOM characteristics on both OHCs and Social Networking Sites (SNSs) from a cross-media perspective. Drawing upon the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and cognitive cost model, a research model is proposed and hypotheses are examined employing data gathered from 8,472 physicians across two platforms. The findings indicate that both the quality and quantity of eWOM in OHCs positively affects patients’ choice of online selection, eWOM on SNSs is also positively related to patients’ choice. Additionally, eWOM on SNSs negatively moderates the relationship between eWOM quality in OHCs and patients’ choice, while eWOM on SNSs exhibits a U-shape moderating influence on the relationship between eWOM quantity in OHCs and patients’ choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan, Wei & Wang, Jiaxuan & Shi, Xiaoxiao & David Evans, Richard, 2024. "The impact of electronic word-of-mouth on patients’ choices in online health communities: A cross-media perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:173:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007634
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114404
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323007634
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114404?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bartschat, Maria & Cziehso, Gerrit & Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten, 2022. "Searching for word of mouth in the digital age: Determinants of consumers’ uses of face-to-face information, internet opinion sites, and social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 393-409.
    2. Zhu, Dong Hong & Deng, Zhong Zhun & Chang, Ya Ping, 2020. "Understanding the influence of submission devices on online consumer reviews:A comparison between smartphones and PCs," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    3. Ruiz-Mafe, Carla & Chatzipanagiotou, Kalliopi & Curras-Perez, Rafael, 2018. "The role of emotions and conflicting online reviews on consumers' purchase intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 336-344.
    4. Sam Ransbotham & Nicholas H. Lurie & Hongju Liu, 2019. "Creation and Consumption of Mobile Word of Mouth: How Are Mobile Reviews Different?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(5), pages 773-792, September.
    5. Lee, Michael T. & Theokary, Carol, 2021. "The superstar social media influencer: Exploiting linguistic style and emotional contagion over content?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 860-871.
    6. Lin, Xiaolin & Wang, Xuequn, 2020. "Examining gender differences in people’s information-sharing decisions on social networking sites," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 45-56.
    7. Fang, Bin & Ye, Qiang & Kucukusta, Deniz & Law, Rob, 2016. "Analysis of the perceived value of online tourism reviews: Influence of readability and reviewer characteristics," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 498-506.
    8. Guo, Qiaozhen & Chen, Ying-Ju & Huang, Wei, 2022. "Dynamic pricing of new experience products with dual-channel social learning and online review manipulations," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Robert G. Fichman & Rajiv Kohli & Ranjani Krishnan, 2011. "Editorial Overview ---The Role of Information Systems in Healthcare: Current Research and Future Trends," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 419-428, September.
    10. Guha Majumder, Madhumita & Dutta Gupta, Sangita & Paul, Justin, 2022. "Perceived usefulness of online customer reviews: A review mining approach using machine learning & exploratory data analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 147-164.
    11. Chatterjee, Sheshadri & Chaudhuri, Ranjan & Vrontis, Demetris & Piccolo, Rossana, 2021. "Enterprise social network for knowledge sharing in MNCs: Examining the role of knowledge contributors and knowledge seekers for cross-country collaboration," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    12. Sniezek, Janet A. & Buckley, Timothy, 1995. "Cueing and Cognitive Conflict in Judge-Advisor Decision Making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 159-174, May.
    13. Triana, María del Carmen & Richard, Orlando C. & Su, Weichieh, 2019. "Gender diversity in senior management, strategic change, and firm performance: Examining the mediating nature of strategic change in high tech firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(7), pages 1681-1693.
    14. Gong, Yingli & Wang, Hongwei & Xia, Qiangwei & Zheng, Lijuan & Shi, Yunxiang, 2021. "Factors that determine a Patient's willingness to physician selection in online healthcare communities: A trust theory perspective," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    15. Navid Aghakhani & Onook Oh & Dawn G. Gregg & Jahangir Karimi, 2021. "Online Review Consistency Matters: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Perspective," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1287-1301, September.
    16. Lu (Lucy) Yan & Xiangbin Yan & Yong Tan & Sherry X. Sun, 2019. "Shared Minds: How Patients Use Collaborative Information Sharing via Social Media Platforms," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(1), pages 9-26, January.
    17. Marchand, André & Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten & Wiertz, Caroline, 2017. "Not all digital word of mouth is created equal: Understanding the respective impact of consumer reviews and microblogs on new product success," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 336-354.
    18. Tingting Song & Jinghua Huang & Yong Tan & Yifan Yu, 2019. "Using User- and Marketer-Generated Content for Box Office Revenue Prediction: Differences Between Microblogging and Third-Party Platforms," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(1), pages 191-203, March.
    19. Zeng, Guojun & Cao, Xinning & Lin, Zhibin & Xiao, Sarah H., 2020. "When online reviews meet virtual reality: Effects on consumer hotel booking," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    20. Raffaele Filieri & Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari, 2019. "What moderates the influence of extremely negative ratings? The role of review and reviewer characteristics," Post-Print hal-03511270, HAL.
    21. Liu, Zhiwei & Park, Sangwon, 2015. "What makes a useful online review? Implication for travel product websites," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 140-151.
    22. Sebastian Martin & Birgit Grüb, 2020. "Intensive WOM-behavior in the healthcare sector – the case of an Austrian hospital’s Facebook site," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 17(3), pages 331-352, September.
    23. Filieri, Raffaele & Lin, Zhibin & Pino, Giovanni & Alguezaui, Salma & Inversini, Alessandro, 2021. "The role of visual cues in eWOM on consumers’ behavioral intention and decisions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 663-675.
    24. Shi, Xiaoxiao & Evans, Richard & Shan, Wei, 2022. "Solver engagement in online crowdsourcing communities: The roles of perceived interactivity, relationship quality and psychological ownership," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    25. Wei Xu & Zhenye Yao & Donghua Chen, 2019. "Chinese annual report readability: measurement and test," China Journal of Accounting Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(3), pages 407-437, July.
    26. Xiaoxiao Liu & Mingye Hu & Bo Sophia Xiao & Jingbo Shao, 2022. "Is my doctor around me? Investigating the impact of doctors’ presence on patients’ review behaviors on an online health platform," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(9), pages 1279-1296, September.
    27. Mohammadreza Mousavizadeh & Mehrdad Koohikamali & Mohammad Salehan & Dam J. Kim, 2022. "An Investigation of Peripheral and Central Cues of Online Customer Review Voting and Helpfulness through the Lens of Elaboration Likelihood Model," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 211-231, February.
    28. Yi Liu & Han-Fen Hu, 2021. "Online review helpfulness: the moderating effects of review comprehensiveness," Post-Print hal-03182905, HAL.
    29. Lin, Xiaolin & Kishore, Rajiv, 2021. "Social media-enabled healthcare: A conceptual model of social media affordances, online social support, and health behaviors and outcomes," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    30. Susan F. Lu & Huaxia Rui, 2018. "Can We Trust Online Physician Ratings? Evidence from Cardiac Surgeons in Florida," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(6), pages 2557-2573, June.
    31. Razmak, Jamil & Bélanger, Charles H., 2017. "Comparing Canadian physicians and patients on their use of e-health tools," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 102-112.
    32. Alexander Landau & Janina Rochell & Christian Klein & Bernhard Zwergel, 2020. "Integrated reporting of environmental, social, and governance and financial data: Does the market value integrated reports?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 1750-1763, May.
    33. Alton Y.K. Chua & Snehasish Banerjee, 2015. "Understanding review helpfulness as a function of reviewer reputation, review rating, and review depth," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 66(2), pages 354-362, February.
    34. Chong (Alex) Wang & Xiaoquan (Michael) Zhang & Il-Horn Hann, 2018. "Socially Nudged: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Friends’ Social Influence in Online Product Ratings," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 641-655, September.
    35. Yuqian Xu & Mor Armony & Anindya Ghose, 2021. "The Interplay Between Online Reviews and Physician Demand: An Empirical Investigation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(12), pages 7344-7361, December.
    36. Liu, Hongfei & Jayawardhena, Chanaka & Osburg, Victoria-Sophie & Yoganathan, Vignesh & Cartwright, Severina, 2021. "Social sharing of consumption emotion in electronic word of mouth (eWOM): A cross-media perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 208-220.
    37. Hong Wu & Zhaohua Deng & Bin Wang & Sumeet Gupta, 2021. "How does service price influence patients’ decisions? An examination of the free-market pricing mechanism in online health communities," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 31(4), pages 877-893, December.
    38. Phillips, Paul & Zigan, Krystin & Santos Silva, Maria Manuela & Schegg, Roland, 2015. "The interactive effects of online reviews on the determinants of Swiss hotel performance: A neural network analysis," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 130-141.
    39. Röthke, Konstantin & Klumpe, Johannes & Adam, Martin & Benlian, Alexander, 2020. "Social influence tactics in e-commerce onboarding: The role of social proof and reciprocity in affecting user registrations," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 119303, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiang, Zheng & Du, Qianzhou & Ma, Yufeng & Fan, Weiguo, 2017. "A comparative analysis of major online review platforms: Implications for social media analytics in hospitality and tourism," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 51-65.
    2. Xiaoxiao Liu & Mingye Hu & Bo Sophia Xiao & Jingbo Shao, 2022. "Is my doctor around me? Investigating the impact of doctors’ presence on patients’ review behaviors on an online health platform," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(9), pages 1279-1296, September.
    3. Moradi, Masoud & Dass, Mayukh & Kumar, Piyush, 2023. "Differential effects of analytical versus emotional rhetorical style on review helpfulness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Yani Wang & Jun Wang & Tang Yao, 2019. "What makes a helpful online review? A meta-analysis of review characteristics," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 257-284, June.
    5. Raoofpanah, Iman & Zamudio, César & Groening, Christopher, 2023. "Review reader segmentation based on the heterogeneous impacts of review and reviewer attributes on review helpfulness: A study involving ZIP code data," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    6. Yanni Ping & Chelsey Hill & Yun Zhu & Jorge Fresneda, 2023. "Antecedents and consequences of the key opinion leader status: an econometric and machine learning approach," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1459-1484, September.
    7. Mariani, Marcello M. & Borghi, Matteo & Laker, Benjamin, 2023. "Do submission devices influence online review ratings differently across different types of platforms? A big data analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    8. Yi, Jisu & Oh, Yun Kyung, 2022. "The informational value of multi-attribute online consumer reviews: A text mining approach," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Zajadacz Alina & Minkwitz Aleksandra, 2020. "Using Social Media Data to Plan for Tourism," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 39(3), pages 125-138, September.
    10. Raffaele Filieri & Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari, 2018. "When are extreme ratings more helpful? Empirical evidence on the moderating effects of review characteristics and product type," Post-Print halshs-01923243, HAL.
    11. Pantano, Eleonora & Priporas, Constantinos-Vasilios & Stylos, Nikolaos, 2017. "‘You will like it!’ using open data to predict tourists' response to a tourist attraction," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 430-438.
    12. Colmekcioglu, Nazan & Marvi, Reza & Foroudi, Pantea & Okumus, Fevzi, 2022. "Generation, susceptibility, and response regarding negativity: An in-depth analysis on negative online reviews," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 235-250.
    13. Li, Yuanshuo & Zhang, Zili & Pedersen, Susanne & Liu, Xudong & Zhang, Ziqiong, 2023. "The influence of relative popularity on negative fake reviews: A case study on restaurant reviews," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    14. Srikanth Parameswaran & Pubali Mukherjee & Rohit Valecha, 2023. "I Like My Anonymity: An Empirical Investigation of the Effect of Multidimensional Review Text and Role Anonymity on Helpfulness of Employer Reviews," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 853-870, April.
    15. Cai, Xiaowei & Cebollada, Javier & Cortiñas, Mónica, 2023. "Impact of seller- and buyer-created content on product sales in the electronic commerce platform: The role of informativeness, readability, multimedia richness, and extreme valence," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    16. Raffaele Filieri & Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari, 2018. "When are extreme ratings more helpful? Empirical evidence on the moderating effects of review characteristics and product type," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) halshs-01923243, HAL.
    17. Liu, Hongfei & Jayawardhena, Chanaka & Shukla, Paurav & Osburg, Victoria-Sophie & Yoganathan, Vignesh, 2024. "Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0) – The evolution of eWOM research in the new age," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    18. Liuan Wang & Lu (Lucy) Yan & Tongxin Zhou & Xitong Guo & Gregory R. Heim, 2020. "Understanding Physicians’ Online-Offline Behavior Dynamics: An Empirical Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 537-555, June.
    19. Wu, Laurie & Shen, Han & Fan, Alei & Mattila, Anna S., 2017. "The impact of language style on consumers′ reactions to online reviews," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 590-596.
    20. Inmaculada Rabadán-Martín & Francisco Aguado-Correa & Nuria Padilla-Garrido, 2020. "Online reputation of 4- and 5-star hotels," Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, vol. 26(1), pages 157-172, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:173:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007634. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.