Paper ID

2517

Paper Type

full

Description

In this study, we examined how patients’ sentiment trajectory features, which can be thought as a proxy of a patients’ satisfaction of the online support groups (OSGs), affect patients’ engagement behaviors in OSGs. We first study the impact of patients’ sentiment trajectories in online social networks on their willingness to share. Our results suggest that patients' sentiment positivity, stability, and dispersion positively affect patients’ willingness to share. We next analyze what factors affect these three sentiment trajectory features. We found that patients’ sentiment trajectory features can be influenced by (1) their online interactions and (2) their offline life events.

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The Impacts of Patients’ Sentiment Trajectory Features on Their Willingness to Share in Online Support Groups

In this study, we examined how patients’ sentiment trajectory features, which can be thought as a proxy of a patients’ satisfaction of the online support groups (OSGs), affect patients’ engagement behaviors in OSGs. We first study the impact of patients’ sentiment trajectories in online social networks on their willingness to share. Our results suggest that patients' sentiment positivity, stability, and dispersion positively affect patients’ willingness to share. We next analyze what factors affect these three sentiment trajectory features. We found that patients’ sentiment trajectory features can be influenced by (1) their online interactions and (2) their offline life events.