Driving Online Healthcare Growth Amid the Digital Divide: How Trust in Professional Signals from Doctor Biographies Shapes Patient Decisions

Abstract

Objectives: Online healthcare offers an effective solution to reduce regional disparities in medical access. However, building patient trust in a virtual environment, particularly amid digital divide challenges, remains critical for the sustainable development of healthcare platforms. This study investigates how doctors' professional experience, communicated through online biographies, influences patient consultation decisions, aiming to uncover strategies that enhance trust and facilitate efficient doctor-patient matching.

Methods: Drawing on trust theory and social distance theory, we develop an empirical model incorporating professional signals, follower community engagement, and sentiment intensity. Using text data and topic modeling from a leading online health platform, we analyze the impact of these factors on patient consultation behavior.

Results: The findings demonstrate that professional experience significantly increases consultation purchases, partially mediated by active follower communities. Additionally, positive emotional expressions in biographies reduce perceived social distance, thereby strengthening trust and willingness to consult. These results highlight the combined effectiveness of professional signals and emotional cues in fostering patient trust.

Conclusions: Strategically designed doctor profiles, integrating professional and emotional elements, can bridge the digital divide in online healthcare by enhancing trust and improving doctor-patient matching. This study advances the understanding of how online biographical narratives shape trust and decision-making, offering novel insights into the interplay of doctor-generated content, trust, and social distance.

Keywords: consultation; doctor biographies; online healthcare; patient trust; sentiment.

Figure 1

Research model.

Figure 2

Indicators for topic partitioning. (a) Perplexity—topic number in LDA. (b) Coherence—topic number in LDA.

Figure 3

Topic visualization of doctor biographies [62,63].

Figure 4

Keyword frequency of Topic 1 [63]. Note: 泌尿外科 = Urology, 整形 = Plastic Surgery, 手术 = Surgery, 美容 = Cosmetology, 整形外科 = Plastic Surgery, 治疗 = Treatment, 肿瘤 = Tumor, 修复 = Repair, 微创 = Microinvasive, 腹腔镜 = Laparoscopy, 前列腺癌 = Prostate Cancer, 擅长 = Specializes in, 重建 = Reconstruction, 膀胱 = Bladder, 输尿管 = Ureter, 前列腺 = Prostate, 畸形 = Deformity, 主任医师 = Chief Physician, 面部 = Facial, 移植 = Transplantation, 技术 = Technology, 泌尿 = Urology, 结石 = Calculus, 医学院 = Medical School, 医院 = Hospital, 脂肪 = Fat, 泌尿系 = Urinary System, 机器人 = Robot, 男科 = Andrology, 外科 = Surgery.

Figure 5

The moderating effect of sentiment intensity on professional experience.