Patients’ Use of Social Media Improves Doctor-Patient Relationship and Patient Well-Being: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in China

This research, performed by faculty at the Harbin Institute of Technology and City University of Hong Kong, examines online communities maintained by doctors, in which patients communicate with their doctor and other patients treated by their doctor. The results find that patients’ use of online communities has a positive causal impact on the patient-doctor relationship and patient well-being.