Predictors of Patients' Loyalty Toward Doctors on Web-Based Health Communities: Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Web-based health communities provide means for patients to not only seek care but also to promote their relationship with doctors. However, little is known about the predictors of patients' loyalty toward doctors in Web-based health communities. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to investigate the predictors of patients' loyalty toward doctors in Web-based health communities. METHODS:On the basis of sociotechnical systems theory and attachment theory, we propose that social factors including emotional interaction, perceived expertise, and social norm influence patients' loyalty through their emotional attachment, whereas technical factors including sociability, personalization, and perceived security affect patients' loyalty through functional dependence. To validate our proposed resea

SUBMITTER: Wu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6751093 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature