What Influences Physicians’ Online Knowledge Sharing? A Stimulus–Response Perspective

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online health platforms and physicians’ online knowledge sharing played an important role in public health crisis management and disease prevention. What influences physicians’ online knowledge sharing? From the psychological perspective of stimulus–response, this study aims to explore how patients’ visit and patients’ consultation influence physicians’ online knowledge sharing considering the contingent roles of physicians’ online expertise and online knowledge sharing experience. Based on 6-month panel data of 45,449 physician–month observations from an online health platform in China, the results indicate that both patients’ visit and patients’ consultation are positive related to physicians’ online knowledge sharing. Online expertise weakens the positive effect of patients’ consultation on physicians’ online knowledge sharing. Online knowledge sharing experience weakens the positive relationship between visit of patient and physicians’ online knowledge sharing, and enhances the positive relationship between patients’ consultation and physicians’ online knowledge sharing. This study contributes to the literatures about stimulus–response in psychology and knowledge sharing, and provides implications for practice.

Encouraging physicians' continuous knowledge-sharing in online health communities: A motivational perspective

“…This choice was made because, in addition to practical benefits, physicians have their own intrinsic goals, such as influencing more patients and gaining a high level of patient recognition ( 64 , 65 ). Patients frequently visit the physicians' home pages indicating that patients are seeking medical knowledge and help from the articles shared by the physicians ( 66 ). Although some studies have also used the number of thank-you letters to measure the psychological rewards received by physicians ( 13 , 67 ) thank-you letters can often only be sent by the physician's patients.…”

Why should I consult? The impact of social support on patient consultation in online healthcare communities

“…This study consists of 10 variables: one dependent variable, three independent variables, one moderating variable, and five control variables (see Table 1 ). On OHCs, the number of patient consultations is an accurate measurement of the online performance of physicians ( Zhang et al, 2022 ). Thus, the dependent variable is the total number of patient consultations ( Consult ).…”

“…Physicians can benefit from the ability of OHC to circumvent regional limitations and promptly reach patients. As a result, many physicians are turning to the Internet to disseminate their expertise ( Zhang et al, 2022 ). Physicians can use OHCs to offer patients articles on the treatment and prevention of disease.…”

“…More medical information may improve patients’ perceptions of the quality of their physicians, which may alter their consultation selections. Physicians can freely offer consultations and publish articles on illness prevention and treatment to attract more visits or consultations, which patients can access at any time and place ( Zhang et al, 2022 ). Therefore, information diagnosticity of physicians in OHCs may promote patient consultation behaviors.…”

The Impact of Data Vulnerability in Online Health Communities: An Institutional Assurance Perspective

“…Thus, OHCs have become useful channels for people seeking health information over the last dozen years ( Zhang et al, 2018 ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Zhou, 2020 ; James et al, 2022 ). Especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are increasingly acknowledging the benefits of OHCs and becoming users ( Zhang et al, 2021 ; Shao et al, 2022 ).…”