A systematic literature review of health‐related information on Question and Answer platforms

Abstract Research of health information on Question and Answer (Q&A) platforms has expanded considerably in recent years. To provide a comprehensive understanding of this growing field, this study employed a systematic literature review methodology to examine research of health‐related information on Q&A platforms. The review examined study characteristics, methodological patterns, theoretical frameworks, and thematic trends across literature. The analysis of study characteristics identified the Q&A platforms used across studies and developed coding schemes for user groups and health topics based on prior research. The methodological analysis established a two‐layer coding scheme to classify research methodologies. The analysis of theoretical frameworks created a disciplinary coding scheme for theoretical approaches. The thematic synthesis identified major research themes and described the current state of the field. Together, these findings offer a comprehensive overview of the current state of research in this domain. They highlight key research gaps, show major research trends, provide methodological and ethical insights, and present theoretical and practical recommendations for researchers, institutions, platform management, public health education, and policymaking.