Background The emergence of online health communities (OHCs) broadens and diversifies channels for patient-doctor interaction. In recent times, patient satisfaction has gained new attention within the context of OHCs where unique patterns are provided: a variety of services with unique attributes are available in OHCs for patients and doctors have the options of providing and pricing for different services. OHCs are given high hopes on improving medical efficiency and patient satisfaction. Knowing how these patterns in OHCs affect patient satisfaction is crucial for the development of OHCs and medical practices.