Understanding patients’ doctor choice behavior: Elaboration likelihood perspective

The rise of health 2.0 technologies has led to an increasing number of patients seeking medical advice in online health communities. This has ignited scholarly interest in exploring patients’ online doctor choice behaviors. While many researchers have examined the various determinants that impact this decision-making process, relatively few have delved into doctors’ functional quality embedded in doctor-patient interactions, and fewer have considered the role of patient health literacy. Thus, this study focuses on doctors’ functional quality, online reputation, and patient health literacy. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model and service quality theory, this study analyzes 143,895 doctor-patient text interactions involving 764 doctors. Results indicate that both functional quality and online reputation significantly influence patients’ choices of doctors. Additionally, patient health literacy moderates the impact of doctors’ online reputation on patient decisions. The findings contribute theoretical insights for researchers and practical implications for doctors and platform administrators.