TY - JOUR
T1 - How online ratings and trust influence health consumers’ physician selection intentions
T2 - An experimental study
AU - Han, Xi
AU - Du, Jia Tina
AU - Zhang, Tingting
AU - Han, Wenting
AU - Zhu, Qinghua
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Consumers’ growing reliance on the web information when choosing physicians has drawn attention to the need for more research into online physician ratings. This study conducted an experimental design to explore the roles of trust in different stages and three key online rating characteristics, including overall numerical ratings (high or general), review volume (high or low), and a comparison of the effect rating and attitude rating (higher or lower effect rating than attitude rating), in influencing health consumers’ choices. Results suggested that the overall numerical rating and review volume were significantly and positively correlated with the physician selection intention. Perceived physician trustworthiness completely mediated the effect of the review volume on consumer intentions, while initial trust in online physician ratings produced a moderating effect. The comparison of sub-dimension rating scores induces consumers’ regulatory focus and further moderated the relationship between overall rating score and consumers’ selection intentions, as well as the relationship between perceived physician trustworthiness and consumers’ selection intentions. Implications, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
AB - Consumers’ growing reliance on the web information when choosing physicians has drawn attention to the need for more research into online physician ratings. This study conducted an experimental design to explore the roles of trust in different stages and three key online rating characteristics, including overall numerical ratings (high or general), review volume (high or low), and a comparison of the effect rating and attitude rating (higher or lower effect rating than attitude rating), in influencing health consumers’ choices. Results suggested that the overall numerical rating and review volume were significantly and positively correlated with the physician selection intention. Perceived physician trustworthiness completely mediated the effect of the review volume on consumer intentions, while initial trust in online physician ratings produced a moderating effect. The comparison of sub-dimension rating scores induces consumers’ regulatory focus and further moderated the relationship between overall rating score and consumers’ selection intentions, as well as the relationship between perceived physician trustworthiness and consumers’ selection intentions. Implications, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
KW - Online physician rating
KW - Physician rating websites
KW - Rating score
KW - Regulatory focus
KW - Review volume
KW - Selection intention
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U2 - 10.1016/j.tele.2021.101631
DO - 10.1016/j.tele.2021.101631
M3 - Article
SN - 0736-5853
VL - 62
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Telematics and Informatics
JF - Telematics and Informatics
M1 - 101631
ER -