JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The Covid-19 pandemic highlights the importance of online medical services. Although some researchers have investigated how numerical ratings affect consumer choice, limited studies have focused on the effect of negative reviews that physicians most concern.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate how negative review features, including proportion (low/high), claim type (evaluative/factual), and physician response (absence/presence) influence consumers’ physician evaluation process under the conditions where the physician’s overall rating is high.

Methods:

Utilizing a 2*2*2 between-subject decision-controlled experiment, this study examined participants’ judgement on physicians with different textual reviews. Collected data were analyzed using t test and Partial Least Squares.

Results:

Negative reviews decrease consumers’ physician selection intention. The negative review proportion (β=-0.371, P<.001) and claim type (β=-0.343, P<.001) have greater effect on consumers’ physician selection intention than physician response (β=0.194, P<.001). High negative review proportion, factual negative review, and the absence of physician response significantly reduce consumers’ intention compared with their counterparts. Consumers’ locus of attributions on the negative reviews affect their evaluation process. Physician attribution mediates the effects of review proportion (β=-0.150, P<.001), review claim type (β=-0.068, P=.007) and physician response (β=0.167, P<.001) on consumer choice. Reviewer attribution also mediates the effects of review proportion (β=-0.071, P<.001), review claim type (β=-0.025, P=.01) and physician response (β=0.096, P<.001) on consumer choice. The moderating effects of physician response on the relationship between review proportion and physician attribution (β=-0.185, P<.001), review proportion and reviewer attribution (β=-0.110, P<.001), claim type and physician attribution (β=-0.123, P=.003), claim type and reviewer attribution (β=-0.074, P=.04) are all significant.

Conclusions:

Negative review features and physician response significantly influence consumers’ choice through the causal attribution to physicians and reviewers. Physician attribution has greater effect on consumer intention than reviewer attribution. The presence of physician response decreases the influence of negative reviews through direct and moderating effects. We propose some practical implications for physicians, healthcare providers and online medical service platforms.