JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

With the rapid development of information technology and online communities, a growing number of patients choose to consult physicians in online health communities (OHCs) for information and treatment. Although extant research has primarily discussed factors that influence the consulting choices of OHC patients, there is still a lack of research on the effects of login behaviors and online reviews on patient consultation.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the impact of the physicians’ login behaviors and online reviews on patient consultation.

Methods:

A longitudinal study is conducted to examine the effects of physicians’ login behaviors and online reviews on patient consultation by analyzing short-panel data from 910 physicians over five time periods in a Chinese OHC.

Results:

The results show that the physician’s login behavior has a positive effect on patient consultation. The maximum number of no-login days of a physician should be 20 days. The two online signals (login behavior and online reviews) have no complementary relationship. Moreover, the offline signal (i.e., offline status) has different moderating effects on the two online signals, negatively moderating the relationship between online reviews and patient consultation.

Conclusions:

Our research contributes to the e-health literature and advances understanding of physicians’ online behaviors. This study also provides practical implications, showing that physicians’ login behavior alone can affect patient consultation, rather than complement online reviews.