What drives the adoption of online health communities? An empirical study from patient-centric perspective

BACKGROUND

Online health communities (OHCs) provide platforms for patients to seek advice from physicians and receive professional suggestions online. It can improve the efficiency of patients' diagnosis of simple diseases and alleviate hospital congestion. However, few empirical studies have comprehensively explored the factors influencing patients' intention to use OHCs through objective data. This study aims to fill this gap by identifying key factors that influence patients' acceptance of OHCs and proposing effective ways to promote the applications of OHCs in China.

METHODS

Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT), extended with additional constructs identified with patients' information demands in OHCs, this study developed a research model and proposed nine hypotheses. An online survey involving 783 valid responses was conducted in China to collect data to validate the proposed model. Confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares (PLS) path model were conducted for instrument validation and hypothesis testing.

RESULTS

Price value, eHealth literacy, and performance expectancy are the most prominent constructs in the study context. Interestingly, relation quality was also found to have a significant positive relationship with behavioral intention.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these findings, OHC operators need to create a user-friendly platform, improve information quality, set reasonable prices, and establish consummate security systems. Physicians and related organizations can raise awareness and assist patients in developing the skills to appropriately comprehend and utilize information in OHCs. This study contributes to both technology adoption theory and practice.

Impact of patient information behaviours in online health communities on patient compliance and the mediating role of patients' perceived empathy

OBJECTIVE

Patient health information seeking and physician-patient communication in OHCs proved to have impacts on patient compliance, but related studies from psychological perspectives are limited. This study aims to investigate the impact of patient health information seeking and physician-patient communication in OHCs on patient compliance.

METHODS

This study established a research model and proposed six hypotheses. An anonymous investigation was conducted using Chinese OHCs. Confirmatory factor analysis, partial least squares, and structural equation modelling were used to test the hypotheses.

RESULTS

We received 371 responses, and 316 of them were valid. Patient health information seeking and physician-patient communication frequency in OHCs had positive impacts on patients' perceived affective and cognitive empathies, which positively impacted patient compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient compliance can be improved by patient health information seeking and physician-patient communication in OHCs and affective and cognitive empathies. Patients' perceived affective empathy is the preferred perspective to improve patient compliance.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Physicians should encourage patients to seek health information and communicate with them through OHCs, be concerned about patients' experiences, feelings, and attitudes, understand patients' demands and mental states, and show their patients that they can feel patients' pain. Increasing physician-patient communication frequency in OHCs can help improve patient compliance.