Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Dec 17, 2024)
Date Submitted: Sep 6, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
The Magic of First Impressions: How Does the Online Doctor's Facial Image Affect Users' Offline Conversion Rate?
ABSTRACT
Background:
With the rise of Internet health, online medical platforms play the key role of information bridge and convenient channel in medical service selection. Users tend to rely on doctor images and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) evaluations displayed on online medical platforms when selecting medical services.
Objective:
This study aims to explore the impact of facial features displayed on online platforms on users’ offline conversion rate (Uocr). It will help us understand the psychological mechanism behind users' decisions from the perspective of the first impression effect.
Methods:
Python was used to collect pictures and information of 7547 doctors from "haodf.com", a well-known online medical platform in China. Then, we use Face++ technology to calculate their facial feature values.
Results:
The results show that: Appearance attractiveness, smile, and gender of facial displays on online platforms have a significant positive relationship on Uocr. Satisfaction evaluations do not significantly regulate the relationship between appearance attractiveness and smile on Uocr, but have a significant negative moderating effect on the effect of gender.
Conclusions:
This study emphasizes the importance of “haodf” as an eWOM platform in image management. It also provides a new perspective for optimizing resource allocation and improving service efficiency. It has important theoretical and practical value for further promoting the innovation of online service systems and realizing the seamless connection between online and offline.
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Copyright
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