Enhancing users' well-being in virtual medical tourism communities: A configurational analysis of users’ interaction characteristics and social support

Abstract

Virtual medical tourism communities (V-MTCs) have emerged as important information sources and social platforms for medical tourists. Drawing on value co-creation literature and complexity theory, this study examines the effects of users’ online interaction characteristics and social support on their well-being from a configurational perspective, aiming to identify different well-being trigger patterns among users of V-MTCs in China. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted, incorporating seven interactional configurations involving communication style (task and relationship orientation), social support (emotional, informational, and network support), and citizenship behavior. The findings indicate three categories of configurations that lead to a high sense of well-being, dominated by social support, task orientation, and citizenship behavior. The article discusses the theoretical logic of each configuration and enriches the value co-creation literature and technology-enabled transformative service research by providing new insights into the causal patterns of well-being in V-MTCs. The findings also have practical implications for V-MTC management.