Can Gamification Motivate Doctors’ Online Contributions? Empirical Evidence from an Online Healthcare Platform in China

Online healthcare has enormous potential in optimizing the allocation of medical resources and alleviating the shortage of medical resources in China. As providers of medical services and knowledge on online healthcare platforms, doctors’ active contributions are key to the long-term development of these platforms. To incentivize doctors to contribute online, an increasing number of online healthcare platforms are introducing gamification mechanisms. However, it is currently unclear whether and how gamification impacts doctors’ online contributions. To investigate this research question, this study built an empirical model based on self-determination theory and social exchange theory. Data from doctors in China’s largest online medical platform were collected to validate the impact of gamified achievements on their online contributions. Our findings reveal that doctors’ gamified achievements on the platform have a significant positive impact on their online contributions; external rewards received by doctors on the platform (economic and reputation rewards) mediate the relationship between doctors’ gamified achievements and their online contributions. Furthermore, this study confirms that doctors’ professional status can moderate the relationship between external rewards received by doctors and their online contributions. The results of this study can help us better understand the functions of gamification, provide insights for optimizing the operations of online healthcare platforms, enhancing doctors’ understanding of platform mechanisms, and assisting patients in making better decisions when selecting doctors.