Consumer Decision-Making Based on Review Websites: Are There Differences Between Choosing a Hotel and Choosing a Physician?

Abstract

BackgroundWeb users are increasingly encouraged to rate and review consumer services (eg, hotels, restaurants) and, more recently, this is also the case for physicians and medical services. The resemblance in the setup and design of commercial rating websites (CRWs) and Web-based physician rating websites (PRWs) raises the question of whether choice-making processes based on the two types of websites could also be similar.ObjectiveThis qualitative study sought to explore the extent to which consumer decision making based on Web-based reviews is the same for consumer services (ie, choice of a hotel) and health services (ie, choice of a pediatrician), while providing an in-depth understanding of potential differences or similarities.MethodsBetween June and August 2015, we carried out a total of 22 qualitative interviews with young parents residing in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Participants were invited to complete 2 choice tasks, which involved (1) choosing a hotel based on the commercial Web-based rating website TripAdvisor and (2) selecting a pediatrician based on the PRW Jameda. To better understand consumers’ thought processes, we instructed participants to “think aloud”, namely to verbalize their thinking while sorting through information and reaching decisions. Using a semistructured interview guide, we subsequently posed open-ended questions to allow them to elaborate more on factors influencing their decision making, level of confidence in their final choice, and perceived differences and similarities in their search for a hotel and a physician. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.ResultsParticipants spent on average 9:57 minutes (standard deviation=9:22, minimum=3:46, maximum=22:25) searching for a hotel and 6:17 minutes (standard deviation=4:47, minimum=00:38, maximum=19:25) searching for a pediatrician. Although the choice of a pediatrician was perceived as more important than the choice of a hotel, participants found choosing a physician much easier than selecting an appropriate accommodation. Four main themes emerged from the analysis of our interview data that can explain the differences in search time and choice confidence: (1) trial and error, (2) trust, (3) competence assessment, and (4) affect and likeability.ConclusionsOur results suggest that, despite congruent website designs, individuals only trust review information to choose a hotel, but refuse to fully rely on it for selecting a physician. The design and content of Web-based PRWs need to be adjusted to better address the differing information needs of health consumers.

Public Awareness and Use of German Physician Ratings Websites: Cross-Sectional Survey of Four North German Cities

“…However, it is also useful to consider the reasons why participants’ awareness and usage of PRWs were all significantly lower in comparison with the other non–health care-related rating websites, which is consistent with the results of the 2 Hanauer et al studies [ 21 , 22 ]. In a recently published study by Rothenfluh et al, the choice-making processes of participants using the rating website TripAdvisor to select a hotel and the PRW Jameda to select a physician were explored [ 33 ]. Despite involving 2 service goods, major differences between the uses of the 2 rating websites were found.…”

“…Third, although participants felt confident in evaluating the quality of a hotel, they perceived that they had an inability to properly evaluate the skills and abilities of physicians. Finally, participants reported that interpersonal connection, gut feeling, and likeability played a huge role in selecting a physician, whereas the price and offered facilities were more important in relation to hotels [ 33 ]. Drawing from the economics literature, Rothenfluh et al distinguished between different types of services goods according to the level of information asymmetry between the provider and consumer and consequently suggested that these 2 service goods (hotels and physicians) cannot be treated equally because of their unequal attributes [ 33 ].…”

“…These findings suggest that the awareness and usage of PRWs may, in fact, always be lower in comparison with the other non-health care–related rating websites because the information inequality between provider and consumer will always be higher for consumers using the services of physicians (and hospitals) than it is for consumers using other services such as hotels and restaurants, and even more so for consumers buying products such as media and technical products. Whereas changes to the way in which PRWs are currently designed may make them more useful [ 33 ], it is possible that people will always rely more on interpersonal recommendations than impersonal public information before selecting a physician, and consequently not use PRWs as often as they would other rating websites. It is therefore perhaps not very surprising that participants endorsed far more frequently the importance of family and friends as information sources than PRWs when selecting a new physician, which is consistent with previous research [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Public Awareness, Usage, and Predictors for the Use of Doctor Rating Websites: Cross-Sectional Study in England

“…There has also been a steady increase in research into OPF websites, with studies conducted in the UK [9,11,13,14,16--24], Germany [ 16 - 21 ], Netherlands [ 22 ], Australia [ 23 ] and other countries [ 24 , 25 ] all contributing to the OPF evidence basis. Some evidence can be found to suggest that there is an association between online ratings and the quality of care [ 12 , 13 , 26 - 28 ], but the results are often conflicting [ 29 ].…”

Why are so few patients rating their physicians on German physician rating websites? A qualitative study

“…In a survey of a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, Hanauer et al also asked participants to consider the implications of leaving negative comments about a physician; participants reported being concerned that their identity could be disclosed, and that the physicians may take action against them for leaving negative comments [ 17 ]. Finally, recent studies by Rothenfluh et al indicate that a number of patients perceive that they have an inability to properly evaluate the skills and abilities of physicians [ 20 , 21 ].…”