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Nie L, Xu J, Wang R. Health information needs and feedback of users in the online TCM community. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301536. [PMID: 38551944 PMCID: PMC10980226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
To improve the information service quality of the online Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) community, this study investigated users' information needs, feedback and the relationship between them. Using qualitative content analysis, the basic characteristics of users' needs were obtained. Logistic regression was used to explore the impact of different need characteristics of feedback. The main findings are as follows: 1) Disease consultation, health preservation, professional discussion, knowledge sharing and experience description are the major 5 types of information needs in the online TCM community; 2) Some users provided TCM-related information, such as the tongue image and the TCM four diagnosis; 3) A total of 78.8% of the posts received effective feedback, and the main types of feedback were answering, discussing, inquiring and emotional supporting; 4) Providing enough information can significantly and positively affect whether needs receive effective feedback, suggesting that users can present information about their condition in as many different formats as possible when articulating their needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Nie
- Country and Area Studies Academy, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayi Xu
- International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruojia Wang
- School of Management, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Cheng Q, Lin Y. Multilevel Classification of Users' Needs in Chinese Online Medical and Health Communities: Model Development and Evaluation Based on Graph Convolutional Network. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e42297. [PMID: 37079346 PMCID: PMC10160934 DOI: 10.2196/42297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online medical and health communities provide a platform for internet users to share experiences and ask questions about medical and health issues. However, there are problems in these communities, such as the low accuracy of the classification of users' questions and the uneven health literacy of users, which affect the accuracy of user retrieval and the professionalism of the medical personnel answering the question. In this context, it is essential to study more effective classification methods of users' information needs. OBJECTIVE Most online medical and health communities tend to provide only disease-type labels, which do not give a comprehensive summary of users' needs. The study aims to construct a multilevel classification framework based on the graph convolutional network (GCN) model for users' needs in online medical and health communities so that users can perform more targeted information retrieval. METHODS Using the Chinese online medical and health community "Qiuyi" as an example, we crawled questions posted by users in the "Cardiovascular Disease" section as the data source. First, the disease types involved in the problem data were segmented by manual coding to generate the first-level label. Second, the needs were identified by K-means clustering to generate the users' information needs label as the second-level label. Finally, by constructing a GCN model, users' questions were automatically classified, thus realizing the multilevel classification of users' needs. RESULTS Based on the empirical research of questions posted by users in the "Cardiovascular Disease" section of Qiuyi, the hierarchical classification of users' questions (data) was realized. The classification models designed in the study achieved accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score of 0.6265, 0.6328, 0.5788, and 0.5912, respectively. Compared with the traditional machine learning method naïve Bayes and the deep learning method hierarchical text classification convolutional neural network, our classification model showed better performance. At the same time, we also performed a single-level classification experiment on users' needs, which in comparison with the multilevel classification model exhibited a great improvement. CONCLUSIONS A multilevel classification framework has been designed based on the GCN model. The results demonstrated that the method is effective in classifying users' information needs in online medical and health communities. At the same time, users with different diseases have different directions for information needs, which plays an important role in providing diversified and targeted services to the online medical and health community. Our method is also applicable to other similar disease classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Cheng
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yingru Lin
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
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Yang Y, Hou M, Gong X, Guo R, Feng XL, Tian R. Quality Assessment of Hypertension Treatment–Related Information on WeChat: Cross-sectional Study. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e38567. [PMID: 36287598 PMCID: PMC9647448 DOI: 10.2196/38567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The WeChat platform has become a primary source for medical information in China. However, no study has been conducted to explore the quality of information on WeChat for the treatment of hypertension, the leading chronic condition. Objective This study aimed to explore the quality of information in articles on WeChat that are related to hypertension treatment from the aspects of credibility, concreteness, accuracy, and completeness. Methods We searched for all information related to hypertension treatment on WeChat based on several inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used 2 tools to evaluate information quality, and 2 independent reviewers performed the assessment with the 2 tools separately. First, we adopted the DISCERN instrument to assess the credibility and concreteness of the treatment information, with the outcomes classified into five grades: excellent, good, fair, poor, and very poor. Second, we applied the Chinese Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (2018 edition) to evaluate the accuracy and completeness of the article information with regard to specific medical content. Third, we combined the results from the 2 assessments to arrive at the overall quality of the articles and explored the differences between, and associations of, the 2 independent assessments. Results Of the 223 articles that were retrieved, 130 (58.3%) full texts were included. Of these 130 articles, 81 (62.3%) described therapeutic measures for hypertension. The assessment based on the DISCERN instrument reported a mean score of 31.22 (SD 8.46). There were no articles rated excellent (mean score >63); most (111/130, 85.4%) of the articles did not refer to the consequences—in particular, quality of life—of no treatment. For specific medical content, adherence to the Chinese Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension was generally low in terms of accuracy and completeness, and there was much erroneous information. The overall mean quality score was 10.18 (SD 2.22) for the 130 articles, and the scores differed significantly across the 3 types (P=.03) and 5 sources (P=.02). Articles with references achieved higher scores for quality than those reporting none (P<.001). The results from the DISCERN assessment and the medical content scores were highly correlated (ρ=0.58; P<.001). Conclusions The quality of hypertension treatment–related information on the WeChat platform is low. Future work is warranted to regulate information sources and strengthen references. For the treatment of hypertension, crucial information on the consequences of no treatment is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Yang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengchi Hou
- China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation 731 Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Gong
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Guo
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Lin Feng
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Tian
- Capital Medical University Library, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Qi M, Cui J, Li X, Han Y. Influence of E-consultation on Intention of First-visit Patients to Select Medical Services: Based on a Scenario Survey (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 25:e40993. [PMID: 37115615 PMCID: PMC10182460 DOI: 10.2196/40993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND E-consultation is expected to improve the information level of patients, affect patients' subsequent judgments of medical services, and guide patients to make a reasonable medical selection in the future. Thus, it is important to understand the influence mechanism of e-consultation on patients' medical selection. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the changes in first-visit patients' understanding of disease and medical resources after e-consultation as well as the choice of follow-up medical services. METHODS Patients' medical selection before and after e-consultation was compared using a scenario survey. Based on the service characteristics of the e-consultation platform, representative simulation scenarios were determined, and parallel control groups were set up considering the order effect in comparison. Finally, a total of 4 scenario simulation questionnaires were designed. A total of 4164 valid questionnaires were collected through the online questionnaire collection platform. Patients' perception of disease severity, evaluation of treatment capacity of medical institutions, selection of hospitals and doctors, and other outcome indicators were tested to analyze the differences in patients' evaluation and choice of medical services before and after e-consultation. Additionally, the results' stability was tested by regression analysis. RESULTS In scenario 1 (mild case), before e-consultation, 14.1% (104/740) of participants considered their conditions as not serious. After e-consultation, 69.5% (539/775) of them considered their diseases as not serious. Furthermore, participants' evaluation of the disease treatment capacity of medical institutions at all levels had improved after using e-consultation. In scenario 3 (severe case), before e-consultation, 54.1% (494/913) of the participants believed their diseases were very serious. After e-consultation, 16.6% (157/945) considered their diseases were very serious. The evaluation of disease treatment capacity of medical institutions in nontertiary hospitals decreased, whereas that of tertiary hospitals improved. In both mild and severe cases, before e-consultation, all of the participants were inclined to directly visit the hospital. After e-consultation, more than 71.4% (553/775) of the patients with mild diseases chose self-treatment, whereas those with severe diseases still opted for a face-to-face consultation. After e-consultation, patients who were set on being treated in a hospital, regardless of the disease severity, preferred to select the tertiary hospitals. Of the patients with mild diseases who chose to go to a hospital, 25.7% (57/222) wanted to consult online doctors face-to-face. By contrast, 56.4% (506/897) of the severe cases wanted to consult online doctors face-to-face. CONCLUSIONS E-consultation can help patients accurately enhance their awareness of the disease and guide them to make a more reasonable medical selection. However, it is likely that e-consultation makes online medical services centralized. Additionally, the guiding effect of e-consultation is limited, and e-consultation needs to be combined with other supporting systems conducive to medical selection to play an improved role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaojie Qi
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Office of Party Committee, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiyu Cui
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Youli Han
- Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Liu J, Liu Y. Exploring the User Interaction Network in an Anxiety Disorder Online Community: An Exponential Random Graph Model with Topical and Emotional Effects. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116354. [PMID: 35681939 PMCID: PMC9180229 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The increasing number of people with anxiety disorders presents challenges when gathering health information. Users in anxiety disorder online communities (ADOCs) share and obtain a variety of health information, such as treatment experience, drug efficacy, and emotional support. This interaction alleviates the difficulties involved in obtaining health information. Users engage in community interaction via posts, comments, and replies, which promotes the development of an online community as well as the wellbeing of community users, and research concerning the formation mechanism of the user interaction network in ADOCs could be beneficial to users. Taking the Anxiety Disorder Post Bar as the research object, this study constructed an ADOC user interaction network based on users' posts, comments, and personal information data. With the help of exponential random graph models (ERGMs), we studied the effects of the network structure, user attributes, topics, and emotional intensity on user interaction networks. We found that there was significant reciprocity in the user interaction network in ADOCs. In terms of user attributes, gender homogeneity had no impact on the formation of the user interaction network. Experienced users in the community had obvious advantages, and experienced users could obtain replies more easily from other members. In terms of topics, pathology popularization showed obvious homogeneity, and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder showed obvious heterogeneity. In terms of emotional intensity, users with polarized emotions were more likely to receive replies from users with positive emotions. The probability of interaction between two users with negative emotions was small, and users with opposite emotional polarity tended to interact, especially when the interaction was initiated by users with positive emotions.
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Wang J, Wang X, Wang L, Peng Y. Health Information Needs of Young Chinese People Based on an Online Health Community: Topic and Statistical Analysis. JMIR Med Inform 2021; 9:e30356. [PMID: 34747707 PMCID: PMC8663605 DOI: 10.2196/30356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The internet has been widely accessible and well accepted by young people; however, there is a limited understanding of the internet usage patterns and characteristics on issues related to health problems. The contents posted on online health communities (OHCs) are valuable resources to learn about youth's health information needs. OBJECTIVE In this study, we concurrently exploited statistical analysis and topic analysis of online health information needs to explore the distribution, impact factors, and topics of interest relevant to Chinese young people. METHODS We collected 60,478 health-related data sets posted by young people from a well-known Chinese OHC named xywy.com. Descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis were applied to find the distribution and influence factors of the information needs of Chinese young people. Furthermore, a general 4-step topic mining strategy was presented for sparse short texts, which included sentence vectorization, dimension reduction, clustering, and keyword generation. RESULTS In the Chinese OHC, Chinese young people had a high demand for information in the areas of gynecology and obstetrics, internal medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery, and surgery, and they focused on topics such as treatment, symptoms, causes, pathology, and diet. Females accounted for 69.67% (42,136/60,478) and young adults accounted for 87.44% (52,882/60,478) of all data. Gender, age, and disease type all had a significant effect on young people's information needs and topic preferences (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS We conducted comprehensive analyses to discover the online health information needs of Chinese young people. The research findings are of great practical value to carry out health education and health knowledge dissemination inside and outside of schools according to the interests of youth, enable the innovation of information services in OHCs, and improve the health literacy of young people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- School of Management, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.,State key Laboratory of Networking and Switching Technology, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Management, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Peng
- School of Management, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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Liu J, Liu Y. Motivation Research on the Content Creation Behaviour of Young Adults in Anxiety Disorder Online Communities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:9187. [PMID: 34501774 PMCID: PMC8431271 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
With the advancements in science and technology and the improvement of medical care, mental health problems are receiving increasing attention. Increasing numbers of children, adolescents, and young adults are susceptible to anxiety. This paper assesses young adults based on self-determination theory and the theory of planned behaviour to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and mediating variables behind young adults' content creation behaviour within anxiety disorder online communities (ADOCs). In addition, the paper introduces empathy as a moderating variable, builds a model of the content creation behavioural motivation of young adults, studies the motivation behind young adults' content creation behaviour in ADOCs, and determines the moderating effect of empathy on young adults' content creation behaviour. The research data were obtained using a questionnaire survey, and the SmartPLS structural equation model was used for empirical analysis. The study found that expressing one's anxiety was the most obvious motivation, the content creation intention of young adults significantly positively affected their content creation behaviour, perceived enjoyment motivation had a significant negative influence on young adults' intention to create content, reward motivation had no significant influence on the content creation intention of young adults, other motivations had significant positive influences on young adults' content creation intention, and empathy only had a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between self-efficacy and young adults' content creation intention. This study not only enriches and expands research on motivation theory but also has practical significance for the improvement and active development of ADOCs.
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