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The influence of patient-generated reviews and doctor-patient relationship on online consultations in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yajie Hu

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

  • Huiwen Zhou

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

  • Yuangao Chen

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

  • Jianrong Yao

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

  • Jiangwu Su

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

Abstract

Online reviews are increasingly being used and researched by people worldwide. Compared with previous studies on traditional products or services, research focused on online health communities (OHCs) is still insufficient. Thus, based on cue diagnosticity theory, this research concentrates on combining two mainstream studies by incorporating the patient-generated review with the unique characteristics of online medical services–the doctor-patient relationship–to study the information processing issues in choosing consultations. We clawed the dataset, including 2865 doctors related to 152,864 patient-generated reviews and information, from the GoodDoctor website. We then employed a negative binomial regression to test our hypotheses. Interestingly, we found that the effects of review length and review volume on doctors’ consultations can be negatively moderated by the doctor-patient relationship. Our findings can serve patients, doctors, platform managers, and others to optimize the application of patients’ information processing when choosing consultations.

Suggested Citation

  • Yajie Hu & Huiwen Zhou & Yuangao Chen & Jianrong Yao & Jiangwu Su, 2023. "The influence of patient-generated reviews and doctor-patient relationship on online consultations in China," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 1115-1141, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:elcore:v:23:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s10660-021-09506-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10660-021-09506-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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