Need What and Why: A Comparative Analysis of Behavioral Performance, Social Support of Patients in Online Health Communities

With the rise of online healthcare, patients increasingly exchange social support through online health communities (OHCs). Different diseases result in varying needs for information and emotional support. This study addresses the gap in understanding these differences by comparing chronic and acute disease patients. We analyzed data from 53,245 chronic disease users and 492,495 posts from CHOHC, and 23,659 acute disease users with 149,095 posts from ACOHC. Using user profiling, pre-trained models, and social network analysis, we found that chronic disease users mainly seek emotional support, while acute disease users prioritize informational support. The findings offer practical insights for designing targeted support for both patient groups.