Antecedents and Consequences of Online Healthcare Community Usage: A Grounded Theory Approach

The online healthcare community has grown rapidly in recent years. However, the antecedents and consequences of the use of online healthcare community platforms have not been systematized. Using grounded theory, this study collects first-hand data on the use of online healthcare communities through in-depth interviews and analyzes the interview data using a three-level coding approach including open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results showed the following. (1) Doctors, hospitals, and the online platforms themselves, along with the impact of healthcare environmental factors, affect patients using the online healthcare community. (2) The use of an online healthcare platform affects patient-related factors, such as emotional dependence and patient satisfaction, as well as factors related to doctor–patient interactions, such as the perception of healthcare quality and the doctor–patient relationship, through mediating factors, including doctor–patient communication, treatment processes, and healthcare costs. (3) Improving patients’ healthcare experience and the doctor–patient relationship may feed back into operation quality and the operating environment of the online healthcare community, thus promoting the promotion and use of an online healthcare community platform.