To switch or stick: the impact of online health communities on medication non-adherence

Le résumé fourni par la source

Online Health Communities (OHCs) empower patients to gain insights into their conditions and treatments but may inadvertently increase medication non-adherence. Grounded in dual-factor theory, this study examines non-adherence as a behavioral transition driven by enabling and inhibiting factors. Using structural equation modeling on survey data from 487 Chinese OHC users, we investigated how informational and emotional support (enabling factors), in contrast to satisfaction and status quo inertia (inhibiting factors), influence the intention to switch to alternative regimens. Findings reveal that informational and emotional support from OHCs positively influence attitudes toward alternative regimens, thereby increasing medication non-adherence intention. Conversely, satisfaction with current prescriptions and inertia decrease medication non-adherence intention. Notably, inertia moderates this process by diminishing the impact of positive attitudes toward alternatives on non-adherence. These insights help healthcare providers better understand the influence of OHCs and develop strategies to encourage medication adherence and improve patient outcomes.

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