Exploring the Effects of Online Rating and the Activeness of Physicians on the Number of Patients in an Online Health Community

Converting Visitors of Physicians’ Personal Websites to Customers in Online Health Communities: Longitudinal Study

“…In addition, the information presented in a personal website also includes information generated by the physician’s own online behaviors and activities (ie, physician-generated information) [ 18 ]. For example, the number of articles published by a physician can be used to measure their activeness [ 18 ], knowledge contribution [ 5 ], and professional capital [ 20 ]. In addition, physicians’ online behaviors and activities are important cues to reflect their delivery process quality [ 12 ].…”

“…Thus, a physician’s personal website plays an important role in the patient decision-making process, and the OHC information presented determines whether a patient is only a visitor or can be a customer. Although previous research has explored the effects on patients’ choices of different stages [ 12 , 18 , 24 ], there is currently no research available that focused on why some physicians are not selected for consultation even if their personal websites are visited by patients.…”

“…Previous studies have investigated the link between multisource OHC information and patients’ choices. For example, Li el al [ 18 ] explored the effects of patients’ rating and physicians’ activeness on the number of patients. Liu et al [ 16 ] found that the number of physicians’ appointments was positively associated with their individual offline and online reputations, as well as their organizational offline and online reputations.…”

“…Patient-generated information is derived from the patient feedback channel of OHCs and is generated by patients who have experienced a medical consultation (eg, reviews and ratings). Generally, patient-generated information reflects the outcomes of a physician’s service [ 12 ], and is related to the perception of the physician’s skill [ 17 ] and patients’ choices at different stages [ 12 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…However, an OHC is an online community that uses information technology to present a medical ecosystem including patients and physicians [ 4 ]. OHC information also includes information generated by physicians’ online behaviors and activities [ 18 ] (ie, physician-generated information). In an OHC, physicians can provide additional types of consultation than offline hospitals or clinics [ 37 ] (eg, network consultation, telephone consultation, appointment registration).…”