Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation
Abstract Background Online health communities (OHCs) are becoming effective platforms for people to seek health information. Existing studies divide health information into general and specific information in OHCs. However, few studies discuss the effects of different types of information seeking in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-02079-y |
| _version_ | 1798005261908049920 |
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| author | Pei Wu Runtong Zhang |
| author_facet | Pei Wu Runtong Zhang |
| author_sort | Pei Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Online health communities (OHCs) are becoming effective platforms for people to seek health information. Existing studies divide health information into general and specific information in OHCs. However, few studies discuss the effects of different types of information seeking in OHCs on users’ electronic satisfaction (e-satisfaction). Objective This study explores the effects of general and specific information seeking on users’ e-satisfaction with OHCs through the mediating roles of perceived benefits and costs drawing on the social information processing theory and the social exchange theory. Methods This study conducted an online survey to collected data from individuals who used OHCs to seek information. The structural equation model was used to analyze the collect data and the research model. Specifically, this study examined the common method bias and conducted a robustness check. Results Results show that general and specific information seeking affect e-satisfaction through the mediating roles of perceived benefits and costs. An interesting result is that general information seeking has a stronger effect on e-satisfaction than specific information seeking. Conclusions This study suggests that e-satisfaction should be further enhanced by information seeking as online healthcare practices evolve and change. Managers of OHCs should focus on increasing users’ perceived benefits, thereby increasing their e-satisfaction. Besides, this study discusses implications, limitations, and future research directions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:36:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-538b07a04b474a7180bd9dd0d0316206 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6947 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:36:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-538b07a04b474a7180bd9dd0d03162062022-12-22T04:23:36ZengBMCBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making1472-69472022-12-0122111210.1186/s12911-022-02079-yExploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigationPei Wu0Runtong Zhang1Department of Information Management, School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong UniversityDepartment of Information Management, School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong UniversityAbstract Background Online health communities (OHCs) are becoming effective platforms for people to seek health information. Existing studies divide health information into general and specific information in OHCs. However, few studies discuss the effects of different types of information seeking in OHCs on users’ electronic satisfaction (e-satisfaction). Objective This study explores the effects of general and specific information seeking on users’ e-satisfaction with OHCs through the mediating roles of perceived benefits and costs drawing on the social information processing theory and the social exchange theory. Methods This study conducted an online survey to collected data from individuals who used OHCs to seek information. The structural equation model was used to analyze the collect data and the research model. Specifically, this study examined the common method bias and conducted a robustness check. Results Results show that general and specific information seeking affect e-satisfaction through the mediating roles of perceived benefits and costs. An interesting result is that general information seeking has a stronger effect on e-satisfaction than specific information seeking. Conclusions This study suggests that e-satisfaction should be further enhanced by information seeking as online healthcare practices evolve and change. Managers of OHCs should focus on increasing users’ perceived benefits, thereby increasing their e-satisfaction. Besides, this study discusses implications, limitations, and future research directions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-02079-yHealth information seekingE-satisfactionSocial information processing theorySocial exchange theoryStructural equation model |
| spellingShingle | Pei Wu Runtong Zhang Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making Health information seeking E-satisfaction Social information processing theory Social exchange theory Structural equation model |
| title | Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation |
| title_full | Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation |
| title_short | Exploring the effects of health information seeking on e-satisfaction in online health communities: an empirical investigation |
| title_sort | exploring the effects of health information seeking on e satisfaction in online health communities an empirical investigation |
| topic | Health information seeking E-satisfaction Social information processing theory Social exchange theory Structural equation model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-02079-y |
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