The Effect of patients' Gratitude Expression on Doctors' Prosocial Behavior in Online medical consultation (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND The current online medical platforms frequently encounter instances where patients express gratitude towards doctors. However, there is a dearth of research elucidating the mechanisms underlying these expressions and their impact on the prosocial behavior of doctors. Given the significance of prosocial behavior in enhancing the quality of online medical services, it is imperative to investigate the influence of patient gratitude on the prosocial actions of doctors. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to construct a theoretical model that delineates the impact of patients' expressions of gratitude on the prosocial behavior of doctors within the context of online medical consultations. The study aims to scrutinize how gratitude, both paid and free, influences the way doctors engage with patients and offer medical advice, which is pivotal for the efficacy of online medical platforms. METHODS The study utilized data extracted from the Haodf Online Open Data Platform. After rigorous data processing, a comprehensive sample of 50,498 doctors was curated for analysis. To empirically validate the theoretical model, logarithmic regression models were employed. These models are adept at capturing the nuances of the relationship between the independent variables (expressions of gratitude) and the dependent variable (doctors' prosocial behavior). RESULTS The empirical analysis revealed that both paid expressions (αGifts=0.0070, P<.01) and free expressions(αThanks=0.0096, P<.01) of gratitude positively influence the prosocial behavior of doctors. Interestingly, the online experience of doctors was found to negatively moderate the effect of paid gratitude expressions (αGifts × Month=-0.0066, P<.01), suggesting that more experienced doctors may be less influenced by paid expressions of gratitude. Conversely, the impact of free gratitude expressions was amplified among doctors with greater online experience (αThanks × Month=0.007, P<.01). Additionally, the study identified a gender difference, with female doctors showing greater responsiveness to free gratitude expressions compared to their male doctors (αThanks × Woman=0.0072, P<.01), but a lower responsiveness to paid gratitude expressions(αGifts × Woman=-0.0108,P<.01). CONCLUSIONS The study concludes that expressions of gratitude, irrespective of being paid or free, significantly enhance the prosocial behavior of doctors in online medical consultations. The findings also underscore the moderating role of doctors' online experience and gender in the context of gratitude expressions. These insights are invaluable for online medical platforms seeking to foster more effective doctor-patient interactions and for patients aiming to engage doctors more constructively.