IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/irpnmk/v20y2023i1d10.1007_s12208-022-00334-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The current state of research of word-of-mouth in the health care sector

Author

Listed:
  • Gerlinde Pauli

    (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria)

  • Sebastian Martin

    (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria)

  • Dorothea Greiling

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

Abstract

Health information plays a significant role in the health behavior of individuals. Word-of-mouth (WOM) is essential in this context. In recent years, new forms of online communication have greatly expanded the possibilities for seeking information and, in consequence, significantly changed communication behavior. Similarly, the doctor-patient relationship has gradually evolved and the traditional asymmetry of medical knowledge is increasingly being corrected as today’s health care consumers are becoming more well-informed. A key source of information is either in-person or online WOM. A research gap exists in terms of analyzing the current state of research of WOM in health care. Although various studies highlight the influence of WOM on health behavior, to the best of our knowledge there exists no systematic literature review that summarizes the current state of research on WOM in health care. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive systematic literature review on WOM in health care. The literature review investigates existing WOM studies in the health care sector based on a systematic search for articles in a twenty-year timeframe from January 2000 to December 2019. The resulting total of 34 articles constitutes the basis of this paper. These studies are analyzed using a model of WOM in health care and – based on the theory of cognitive dissonance, the theory of the strength of weak ties, and the theory of perceived risk – clustered into the creation, spread, and impact of WOM. The investigated studies emphasize the importance of the staff in the service process. Furthermore, negative reviews have a stronger impact than positive ones, with service quality representing the main reason for negative WOM. In addition, the importance of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is underlined, as online reviews are gaining popularity for patient decision-making processes. Although some studies have addressed WOM in health care, research gaps remain. For example, there are few studies on eWOM and some medical disciplines in private practice are neglected in WOM research. By systematically presenting and analyzing the literature on WOM in health care, this paper represents an important starting point for future research and also provides insights into the role of WOM in health care practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerlinde Pauli & Sebastian Martin & Dorothea Greiling, 2023. "The current state of research of word-of-mouth in the health care sector," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 20(1), pages 125-148, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:irpnmk:v:20:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12208-022-00334-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s12208-022-00334-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12208-022-00334-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12208-022-00334-6?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. Stewart Loane, Susan & D'Alessandro, Steven, 2014. "Empowered and knowledgeable health consumers: The impact of online support groups on the doctor–patient relationship," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 238-245.
    2. Liberatore, Florian & Schmelzer, Sarah & Angerer, Alfred, 2019. "The Relevance of Citizen Co-Creation for the Effectiveness of Public Health Campaigns: Results from the Evaluation of a HIV Prevention Campaign in Switzerland," ZögU - Zeitschrift für öffentliche und gemeinwirtschaftliche Unternehmen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 42(1-2), pages 34-46.
    3. Brown, Jacqueline Johnson & Reingen, Peter H, 1987. "Social Ties and Word-of-Mouth Referral Behavior," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 14(3), pages 350-362, December.
    4. Sebastian Martin, 2017. "Word-of-mouth in the health care sector: a literature analysis of the current state of research and future perspectives," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(1), pages 35-56, March.
    5. Hinz, Vera & Drevs, Florian & Wehner, Jürgen, 2012. "Electronic word of mouth about medical services," hche Research Papers 2012/05, University of Hamburg, Hamburg Center for Health Economics (hche).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maria Antoniadou, 2024. "The ECODENT Model for Enhancing Pro-environmental Behaviors in Dentists," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 1387-1403, June.

    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. Sebastian Martin, 2017. "Word-of-mouth in the health care sector: a literature analysis of the current state of research and future perspectives," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(1), pages 35-56, March.
    2. Fontecha, John E. & Walteros, Jose L. & Nikolaev, Alexander, 2021. "Reach maximization for social lotteries," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    3. Choo Yeon Kim & Seong Soo Cha, 2023. "Effect of SNS Characteristics for Dining Out on Customer Satisfaction and Online Word of Mouth," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    4. Jennifer K D’Angelo & Kristin Diehl & Lisa A Cavanaugh, 2019. "Lead by Example? Custom-Made Examples Created by Close Others Lead Consumers to Make Dissimilar Choices," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 46(4), pages 750-773.
    5. Yucheng Zhang & Zhiling Wang & Lin Xiao & Lijun Wang & Pei Huang, 2023. "Discovering the evolution of online reviews: A bibliometric review," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Feixiang Zhang & Liyong Zong, 2014. "Dissemination of Word of Mouth Based on SNA Centrality Modeling and Power of Actors - An Empirical Analysis of Internet Word of Mouth," International Journal of Business Administration, International Journal of Business Administration, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(5), pages 65-70, September.
    7. Wang, Le & Luo, Xin (Robert) & Li, Han, 2022. "Envy or conformity? An empirical investigation of peer influence on the purchase of non-functional items in mobile free-to-play games," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 308-324.
    8. Yadav, Manjit S. & de Valck, Kristine & Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten & Hoffman, Donna L. & Spann, Martin, 2013. "Social Commerce: A Contingency Framework for Assessing Marketing Potential," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 311-323.
    9. Khim-Yong Goh & Cheng-Suang Heng & Zhijie Lin, 2013. "Social Media Brand Community and Consumer Behavior: Quantifying the Relative Impact of User- and Marketer-Generated Content," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 88-107, March.
    10. Fang Di & Richards Timothy J. & Grebitus Carola, 2019. "Modeling Product Choices in a Peer Network," Forum for Health Economics & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 22(1), pages 1-13, June.
    11. Islam Elbayoumi Salem & Ahmed Mohamed Elbaz & Alamir Al-Alawi & Nasser Alhamar Alkathiri & Kareem A. Rashwan, 2022. "Investigating the Role of Green Hotel Sustainable Strategies to Improve Customer Cognitive and Affective Image: Evidence from PLS-SEM and fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    12. Jalees, Tariq & Tariq, Huma & Zaman, Syed Imran & Alam Kazmi, Syed Hasnain, 2015. "Social Media in Virtual Marketing," MPRA Paper 69868, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Apr 2015.
    13. Songhong Chen & Jian Ming Luo, 2023. "Understand Delegates Risk Attitudes and Behaviour: The Moderating Effect of Trust in COVID-19 Vaccination," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, February.
    14. Sebastian Schneider, 2022. "Price-related consumer discussions in China and the United States: a cross-cultural study investigating price perceptions and word-of-mouth transmission," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(3), pages 274-290, June.
    15. Bogdan Anastasiei & Nicoleta Dospinescu, 2019. "Electronic Word-of-Mouth for Online Retailers: Predictors of Volume and Valence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, February.
    16. Easley, Richard W. & Bearden, William O. & Teel, Jesse E., 1995. "Testing predictions derived from inoculation theory and the effectiveness of self-disclosure communications strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 93-105, October.
    17. Hsiang-Ming Lee & Tsai Chen & Ya-Hui Hsu & Yu-Chi Wu, 2018. "Effect Of Complementary Product Fit And Brand Awareness On Brand Attitude After M&As: Word Of Mouth As A Moderator," Global Journal of Business Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 12(1), pages 51-67.
    18. Yoon, Hyun Shik & Occeña, Luis G., 2015. "Influencing factors of trust in consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce with gender and age," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 352-363.
    19. Luís Filipe Miranda Grochocki & Andrea Felippe Cabello, 2023. "Research collaboration networks in maturing academic environments," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(4), pages 2535-2556, April.
    20. Reema Nofal & Pelin Bayram & Okechukwu Lawrence Emeagwali & Lu’ay Al-Mu’ani, 2022. "The Effect of eWOM Source on Purchase Intention: The Moderation Role of Weak-Tie eWOM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.

    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:spr:irpnmk:v:20:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12208-022-00334-6. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.