Rethinking Digital Clinics: A Communication Approach to Online Medical Consultation

Abstract

This review examines Digital Clinics: A Communication Approach to Online Medical Consultation by Bolin Cao, which investigates how digital technologies are transforming doctor–patient communication and the organization of healthcare services. The book conceptualizes the “digital clinic” as a hybrid communicative space in which traditional medical authority, platform mediated interaction, and patient participation intersect. Through a communication centered framework, Cao demonstrates that online consultation does not merely extend conventional medical practice but fundamentally reshapes the communicative logic of clinical encounters. Digital platforms enable patients to access health information more easily and participate more actively in medical decision making, while physicians must adapt to new expectations related to responsiveness, digital visibility, and reputation building within platform environments. Drawing on theories from communication studies, health communication, media sociology, and platform research, the book provides a multidimensional account of the structural, relational, and cultural transformations associated with digital healthcare. This review highlights the book’s theoretical richness, interdisciplinary orientation, and relevance to contemporary debates on patient empowerment, digital trust, and platform governance.