Influence of Physicians' Pro-Social Behavior on Patient Inquiry Behavior in Online Healthcare Platforms: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Abstract

Physicians on online medical platforms provide two types of services: fee-based consultations for direct economic benefits and pro-social services without direct financial returns. These pro-social services include free clinics, publishing scientific articles on popular science accounts, and providing free online follow-up consultations. Statistical analysis reveals that physicians who offer pro-social services consistently receive higher volumes of online inquiries compared to those who do not engage in such services. This study employs propensity score matching (PSM) and regression (OLS) models to investigate the causal relationship between physicians providing pro-social services and patient inquiry behavior. The results demonstrate that, during the PSM stage, when controlling for relevant covariates occurring before physicians provide pro-social services, both overall pro-social behavior and specific sub-behaviors have a positive impact on patient inquiry behavior. Moreover, during the OLS stage, considering factors related to physicians' provision of pro-social services and current operational data, these aspects also positively influence patient inquiry behavior. Therefore, despite the lack of direct economic benefits, it is recommended for online medical platforms and physicians to actively promote and engage in pro-social service provision.