Web 2.0 Platforms and Health Care: How Online Support Groups, Blogs and Social Networking Sites are Facilitating Online ‘Communities of Care’
Sheila McLean
April, 2010
Imagine this scenario: you have recently been diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Your doctor has outlined your treatment and prognosis, given you some leaflets and a handful of prescriptions to fill at the chemist. Your family and friends may be supportive to begin with, but they have never been through what you are going through, so how can they understand? You’d like to join a support group, but your work and family commitments mean you can’t get to meetings on the first Tuesday evening of each month. So what can you do? The answer is to use the internet – where you can find online community support and information for all sorts of conditions from “Alopecia Aerata” to “Zellweger Syndrome”. (Better Health Channel, 2010)
