Exploring the freemium business model for online medical consultation services in China

作者：

Highlights：

• Patients’ initial reply time negatively influences subsequent information provision.

• Patients’ subsequent payment increases with their shorter reply time.

• Reducing reply time may not always be a good strategy for doctors.

• Freemium model does not appear to facilitate sustained participation and payment.

摘要

•Patients’ initial reply time negatively influences subsequent information provision.•Patients’ subsequent payment increases with their shorter reply time.•Reducing reply time may not always be a good strategy for doctors.•Freemium model does not appear to facilitate sustained participation and payment.

论文关键词：Online medical consultation,Freemium,Patient participation,Payment,Goal setting,Hierarchical linear modeling

论文评审过程：Received 30 July 2020, Revised 13 December 2020, Accepted 21 December 2020, Available online 27 January 2021, Version of Record 27 January 2021.

论文官网地址：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2021.102515