On-Demand Healthcare Platforms: Impact of Question and Answer Service on Online Consultations and Offline Appointments

On-demand healthcare platforms are increasingly integrating low-cost question and answer (Q&A) services to help patients navigate care options. Using data from a major Chinese health platform, this study shows that Q&A services drive both online and offline engagement—boosting online consultations by 2%, offline appointments by 4.3%, and consultation revenue by 6.6%. These services not only encourage follow-ups with the same doctor but also, generate spillover demand to other providers and specialties, especially those with higher professional titles. Patients benefit through better provider matching, fewer revisits, and reduced time spent browsing for care—all of which suggest improved outcomes. Q&A serves as an effective entry point, reducing uncertainty and guiding patients to the appropriate level of care. From an operational perspective, the service increases demand without cannibalizing higher-margin services, offering a low-cost lever for engagement and conversion. Platforms should incentivize generalists and junior doctors, who often serve as initial touchpoints and channel traffic to specialists, to maximize the broader impact of Q&A engagement. For providers and policymakers, the findings highlight how lightweight, scalable tools, like Q&A, can improve care access and coordination—especially in fragmented systems where patients select providers without formal referrals.