Not only do online health communities such as HealthUnlocked and Mumsnet help people with chronic conditions such as diabetes or mental health issues cope, they provide a platform for these individuals to share their knowledge of hospitals, healthcare services and prescription drugs.
“We found patients can learn to care for themselves and each other in new and better ways through these online communities,” said study author Eivor Oborn, PhD. “Social support and patients’ experience and knowledge can be critical in the management of chronic long-term illnesses.”
In addition to providing social support, data amassed from the online communities can help clinicians decide which types of care are most helpful to provide.
The information gleaned from users’ input can also be leveraged to benefit research for pharmaceutical companies and patients alike.
“Also, the power in these online communities to identify and attract relevant patients for clinical trials of new drugs is dramatic,” said Dr. Oborn. “For example, health organizations took almost six months to recruit 250 people by traditional means whereas it took one of these online communities just 48 hours.”
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