Abstract

Doctors are accustomed to using jargon to communicate in online medical communities, but is it actually effective? In this article, we propose two diametrically opposed mechanisms of jargon use that affect patients' confidence in providers of online medical consultation services: The use of jargon affects competence-based confidence positively, but negatively on benevolence- and integrity-based trust. We take into account the moderating effects of eHealth literacy and question type to better comprehend the circumstances in which jargon use is at play. To test our conceptual model, we conduct a scenario experiment and then use a survey method to collect 203 valid questionnaires. Finally, we discuss our findings, their implications for theory and practise, and the study's limitations.

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Paper Number 1412; Track Healthcare; Complete Paper

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