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<p>In recent years, there has been a significant proliferation of online health communities, fueled by advances in online technology and the convenience and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine services. These communities enable healthcare professionals to share health knowledge that patients can access for free. However, it remains unclear whether providing such free health knowledge has financial benefits for healthcare professionals. To explore this issue, this study aimed to use social exchange theory to investigate the relationship between the quantity and quality (i.e., practicability, readability, and professionality) of the health knowledge shared by healthcare professionals and their receipt of small monetary gifts from patients. Through the econometric analysis of data from 5668 doctors over a 15-month period, this study found that the quantity of health knowledge shared by healthcare professionals significantly influences patients’ gift-giving behavior, whereas the quality of this health knowledge does not always have the same effect. Specifically, patients are more inclined to give gifts when the shared health knowledge is more practical and readable but less likely to do so when it is overly professional. Additional analyses further revealed a significant interaction effect between practicability and professionality. These findings have important implications for stakeholders in online health communities.</p>

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Does quantity or quality matter? The economic benefits of free sharing of health knowledge in online health communities

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Yusheng Zhou,
  • Mingzhou Chen,
  • Jia Yu,
  • Qun Wang,
  • Lei Zhu

摘要

In recent years, there has been a significant proliferation of online health communities, fueled by advances in online technology and the convenience and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine services. These communities enable healthcare professionals to share health knowledge that patients can access for free. However, it remains unclear whether providing such free health knowledge has financial benefits for healthcare professionals. To explore this issue, this study aimed to use social exchange theory to investigate the relationship between the quantity and quality (i.e., practicability, readability, and professionality) of the health knowledge shared by healthcare professionals and their receipt of small monetary gifts from patients. Through the econometric analysis of data from 5668 doctors over a 15-month period, this study found that the quantity of health knowledge shared by healthcare professionals significantly influences patients’ gift-giving behavior, whereas the quality of this health knowledge does not always have the same effect. Specifically, patients are more inclined to give gifts when the shared health knowledge is more practical and readable but less likely to do so when it is overly professional. Additional analyses further revealed a significant interaction effect between practicability and professionality. These findings have important implications for stakeholders in online health communities.