Purpose This study aims to investigate how review quality (RQ), rating tone and source credibility (SC) influence patients’ healthcare choices, emphasizing the mediating roles of trust and perceived usefulness. It integrates information adoption, persuasion and trust theories to explain cognitive and emotional decision-making processes. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative design with a structured questionnaire to measure RQ, rating valence (RV), SC, trust, usefulness and decision intent. Data were gathered via a cross-sectional survey with informed consent, then analyzed using factor analyses and structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that RQ, RV and SC strongly shape healthcare decision intentions, both directly and through trust in the provider and perceived usefulness of reviews. SC was most influential, with trust emerging as the stronger mediator. This dual mediation advances Elaboration Likelihood Model by incorporating web trust dynamics (Xu et al., 2022) and supports information adoption in high-risk domains (Zackary, 2020). Originality/value This study integrates information adoption, persuasion and trust theories to provide a cohesive framework for understanding online healthcare review mechanisms. It contributes to digital healthcare literature by highlighting the cognitive and affective pathways through which reviews shape patient decisions.
R et al. (Mon,) studied this question.