The Role of Emotions Intensity in Helpfulness of Online Physician Reviews

Online physician reviews (OPRs) critically influence the patients’ consultation decisions on rating websites. The increasing number of OPRs contributes to challenge information overload. worth development needs be explored further. Based collected from RateMDs and Healthgrades, Plutchik’s wheel human emotions framework, purpose this study was examine impact emotional intensity (positive negative) incorporated in review helpfulness (RH). proposed model empirically tested using data two websites applying a mixed-methods approach (text mining econometrics). results suggested that anger, disgust, fear (negative emotions), while joy, anticipation, trust emotions) significantly contributed perceived RH. Moreover, patient’s disease severity moderated association between negative (anger disgust), or positive (joy trust) Anger an OPR has more RH for severe diseases than mild diseases. findings significance innovative perspective provided practical insights health platform owners help patients expressing their precisely.