The impact of social support chatbots on patients’ value co-creation behavior in online health communities: a moderated mediation model
Abstract
Purpose
Online health communities (OHCs) have emerged on the Internet, substantially changing the conventional healthcare delivery model. Despite this emergence, the lack of patient participation and contribution always limits the success and sustainability of OHCs. Previous studies have disclosed that patients’ value co-creation behavior (VCB) helps organizations sustain OHCs. However, how the recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as social support chatbots (SSCs), drives patients’ VCB is still unknown. Therefore, this study examines the complex mechanism behind patients’ VCB to establish sustainable OHCs.
Design/methodology/approach
Using value co-creation and social support theories, the author develops a moderated mediation model and analyzes survey data from 338 respondents using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods.
Findings
Results demonstrate that perceived social support (PSS) from SSCs positively affects VCB directly and indirectly via patient learning (PL). This indirect effect is stronger when patient ability/readiness (PAR) is high. ANN findings highlight the model’s robustness and the significant role of PAR in VCB.
Originality/value
This study’s integrated framework offers unique insights into key drivers of patients’ VCB in OHCs. The findings indicate that PSS from SSCs enhances PL and VCB, with PAR influencing the strength of these relationships. Understanding these dynamics can inform user-centric interventions to promote effective learning and collaboration in OHCs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We thank the Editor, Professor Christy Cheung, for her precious time, the Senior Editor, Associate Editor, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.
Citation
Latif, M.S., Wang, J.-J., Shahzad, M. and Mursil, M. (2024), "The impact of social support chatbots on patients’ value co-creation behavior in online health communities: a moderated mediation model", Internet Research, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-08-2023-0666
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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