Author: Josefsson, Ulrika

Source: The Information Society, Volume 21, Number 2, Number 2/April-June 2005 , pp. 133-141(9)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

This article identifies and analyzes characteristics of patients' online communities (POC) in Sweden. Using a qualitative approach, it presents a fine-grained picture of the communities covering both the structural and cultural factors. Acknowledging the debate about quality of health information online and the potential risks of e-health, the article argues that a deeper understanding of the dynamics of POC, which offer unique aides for the coping process of chronically ill patients, can contribute to the design of the emergent forms of Internet-based health care resources.

Keywords: coping; design; health information; information technology use; individuals; Internet; online communities; social support

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01972240590925357

Affiliations: 1: Department of Informaticsteborg, Sweden , Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

Publication date: 2005-04-01

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