Work

Research on the Network Structure Characteristics of Doctors and the Influencing Mechanism on Recommendation Rates in Online Health Communities: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective Based on the “Good Doctor Online” Platform

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: (1) Background: Online health communities (OHCs) serve as ecosystems connecting doctors, patients, and medical resources. Studying their deep network structure and impact mechanisms on medical service quality provides a comprehensive understanding of digital healthcare ecosystems and has guiding significance for platform service optimization. (2) Methods: Using the “Good Doctor Online” platform as the data source, we employed social network analysis methods to construct network models from the professional title and disease-type dimensions, and used multiple linear regression statistical analysis to identify the influencing factors of doctor recommendation rates. (3) Results: Our analysis found that depression doctors exhibit the highest network connectivity (average degree = 17.378), and chief physicians demonstrate significantly higher internal connectivity (average degree = 9.353) compared to resident physicians (average degree = 0.804). The doctor recommendation rate is significantly correlated with post-consultation evaluation (r = 0.602, p < 0.001) and shows a 45% variance explanation (R2 = 0.450) in our regression model. (4) Conclusions: Different disease types in OHCs demonstrate distinct organizational patterns, with depression networks showing significantly denser connections than diabetes networks. Professional titles strongly influence network position, with chief physicians forming highly connected hubs while resident physicians remain peripheral. Recommendation rates emerge through multi-dimensional trust processes primarily driven by post-consultation evaluation quality.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app15084583

Authors: Hao Wang, Chen Wang, Huiying Qi

Institution: Peking University

Language: English

Topic: Health Literacy and Information Accessibility

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896