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Wu N, Wang SJ, Brazeau AS, Chan D, Mussa J, Nakhla M, Elkeraby M, Ell M, Prevost M, Lepine L, Panagiotopoulos C, Mukerji G, Butalia S, Henderson M, Da Costa D, Rahme E, Dasgupta K. Supporting and Incentivizing Peer Leaders for an Internet-Based Private Peer Community for Youths With Type 1 Diabetes: Social Network and Directed Content Analysis. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e48267. [PMID: 38085568 PMCID: PMC10751631 DOI: 10.2196/48267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D) frequently experience stigma. Internet-based peer communities can mitigate this through social support but require leaders to catalyze exchange. Whether nurturing potential leaders translates into a central role has not been well studied. Another issue understudied in such communities is lurking, the viewing of exchanges without commenting or posting. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the centrality of the peer leaders we selected, trained, and incentivized within the Canadian Virtual Peer Network (VPN)-T1D. This is a private Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc) group that we created for persons aged 14 to 24 years with T1D. We specifically sought to (1) compare a quantitative estimate of network centrality between peer leaders and regular members, (2) assess the proportions of network exchanges that were social support oriented, and (3) assess proportions of high engagement (posts, comments, reactions, and votes) and low engagement (lurking) exchanges. METHODS We recruited peer leaders and members with T1D from prior study cohorts and clinics. We trained 10 leaders, provided them with a monthly stipend, and encouraged them to post on the private Facebook group we launched on June 21, 2017. We extracted all communications (posts, messages, reactions, polls, votes, and views) that occurred until March 20, 2020. We calculated each member's centrality (80% of higher engagement communications comprising posts, comments, and reactions plus 20% of members with whom they connected). We divided each member's centrality by the highest centrality to compute the relative centrality, and compared the mean values between leaders and members (linear regression). We calculated the proportions of communications that were posts, comments, reactions, and views without reaction. We performed content analysis with a social support framework (informational, emotional, esteem-related, network, and tangible support), applying a maximum of 3 codes per communication. RESULTS VPN-T1D gained 212 regular members and 10 peer leaders over 33 months; of these 222 members, 26 (11.7%) exited. Peer leaders had 10-fold higher relative centrality than regular members (mean 0.53, SD 0.26 vs mean 0.04, SD 0.05; 0.49 difference; 95% CI 0.44-0.53). Overall, 91.4% (203/222) of the members connected at least once through posts, comments, or reactions. Among the 75,051 communications, there were 5109 (6.81%) posts, comments, and polls, 6233 (8.31%) reactions, and 63,709 (84.9%) views (lurking). Moreover, 54.9% (3430/6253) of codes applied were social support related, 66.4% (2277/3430) of which were informational (eg, insurance and travel preparation), and 20.4% (699/3430) of which were esteem related (eg, relieving blame). CONCLUSIONS Designating, training, and incentivizing peer leaders may stimulate content exchange and creation. Social support was a key VPN-T1D deliverable. Although lurking accounted for a high proportion of the overall activity, even those demonstrating this type of passive participation likely derived benefits, given that the network exit rate was low. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/18714.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Wu
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susan Joanne Wang
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Sophie Brazeau
- School of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Deborah Chan
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joseph Mussa
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Meranda Nakhla
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mariam Elkeraby
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Patient partner, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maryna Ell
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Patient partner, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Melinda Prevost
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Patient partner, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurie Lepine
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Patient partner, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Constadina Panagiotopoulos
- Endocrinology & Diabetes Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Geetha Mukerji
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Health Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sonia Butalia
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Foothills Campus, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mélanie Henderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Deborah Da Costa
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Elham Rahme
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kaberi Dasgupta
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Bhatti S, Wake N, Jani Y. Evaluating the effectiveness of digital communication within the National Medication Safety Network for England. Eur J Hosp Pharm 2021; 29:275-279. [PMID: 33608395 DOI: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2020-002517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The medication safety officer (MSO) role was created following a patient safety alert, with an action for MSOs to be active participants in a national network in England, which included regular online webinar meetings and an online forum. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of digital platforms in facilitating interaction and communication by the MSO network. The objectives were to establish the proportion of MSOs who interact through monthly webinars and the online forum. A secondary objective was to identify barriers and facilitators for engaging digitally within the MSO network. METHODS An online survey was used alongside semistructured interviews. The online survey was disseminated to all 400 MSOs registered with the UK Department of Health Central Alerting System from December 2018 to February 2019. Interviewees were identified purposively through snowball sampling and voluntarily through the survey. RESULTS 84 MSOs responded to the survey (21% response rate) and 10 participated in the semistructured interviews. The majority of the respondents were pharmacists (79/84, 94%) from NHS large healthcare providers (44/84, 52%). MSO respondents (61/84, 73%) joined the monthly webinar and 47/84 (56%) believed the webinar was useful for networking. Ten (12%) did not attend the webinars due to technical difficulties or lack of time. The online forum was used less frequently, with a third (27/84, 32%) that had never used it. CONCLUSIONS Digital communications through webinars and online forums were perceived by respondents as a way to facilitate networking but require a robust information technology infrastructure that can be accessed without difficulty. User-friendly platforms can help the MSO network achieve critical mass and greater interaction, allowing timely access to information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrina Bhatti
- Centre for Medicines Optimisation Research and Education, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK .,NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, London North West Healthcare, Harrow, UK
| | - Nicola Wake
- NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service, London North West Healthcare, Harrow, UK
| | - Yogini Jani
- Centre for Medicines Optimisation Research and Education, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
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Litchman ML, Walker HR, Ng AH, Wawrzynski SE, Oser SM, Greenwood DA, Gee PM, Lackey M, Oser TK. State of the Science: A Scoping Review and Gap Analysis of Diabetes Online Communities. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2019; 13:466-492. [PMID: 30854884 PMCID: PMC6501517 DOI: 10.1177/1932296819831042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with diabetes are using online resources to engage in diabetes online communities to find diabetes-related support and information. The benefits and consequences of DOC (diabetes online community) use are unclear. This scoping review aims to map existing research focused on organic DOCs in which individuals affected by diabetes are interacting with peers. METHOD A scoping review was conducted to comprehensively report and synthesize relevant literature published prior to 2018. Attention was paid to variations in study design, DOC user and platform characteristics, and potential or actual benefits and consequences. RESULTS Of the 14 486 titles identified, 47 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this scoping review. No overt definition of the DOC could be identified. Perceived or actual benefits associated with DOC use can be broadly categorized as clinical, behavioral, psychosocial and community outcomes. Perceived, potential, or actual consequences associated with DOC use were categorized as quality of information, risky behavior exploration, acute concerns, psychosocial, privacy, and inactivity. CONCLUSIONS The results of this review strongly suggest DOC use is highly beneficial with relatively few negative consequences. DOC use is an emerging area of research and research gaps exist. Future research should seek to identify benefits and consequences to DOC use in experimental trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Litchman
- College of Nursing, University of Utah,
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Utah Diabetes and Endocrinology Center,
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Heather R. Walker
- College of Applied Health Sciences,
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ashley H. Ng
- Department of Dietetics, Nutrition and
Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Sean M. Oser
- Department of Family and Community
Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | | | - Perry M. Gee
- College of Nursing, University of Utah,
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Intermountain Healthcare, Nursing
Research, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Mellanye Lackey
- Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences
Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Tamara K. Oser
- Department of Family and Community
Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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Lavorgna L, De Stefano M, Sparaco M, Moccia M, Abbadessa G, Montella P, Buonanno D, Esposito S, Clerico M, Cenci C, Trojsi F, Lanzillo R, Rosa L, Morra VB, Ippolito D, Maniscalco G, Bisecco A, Tedeschi G, Bonavita S. Fake news, influencers and health-related professional participation on the Web: A pilot study on a social-network of people with Multiple Sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2018; 25:175-178. [PMID: 30096683 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2018.07.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last few decades, patients have increasingly been searching for health information on the Internet. This aspect of information seeking is important, especially for people affected by chronic pathologies and require lifelong treatment and management. These people are usually very well informed about the disease but are nonetheless vulnerable to hopes of being cured or saved, often amplified by misinformation, myths, legends, and therapies that are not always scientifically proven. Many studies suggest that some individuals prefer to rely on the Internet as their main source of information, often hindering the patient-doctor relationship. A professional approach is imperative to maintain confidentiality, honesty, and trust in the medical profession. OBJECTIVE we aimed to examine, in a medically supervised Italian web community (SMsocialnetwotk.com) dedicated to people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), the posts shared by users and to verify the reliability of contents of posts shared by users pinpointed as Influencers through an online questionnaire. METHODS we grouped the posts published on SMsocialnetwork from April to June 2015 into those with medical content (scientifically correct or fake news), and those related to social interactions. Later, we gave a questionnaire to the community asking to identify the three users/Influencers providing the most reliable advice for everyday life with MS and the three users/Influencers providing the most useful information about MS treatments. RESULTS 308 posts reported scientific and relevant medical information, whereas 72 posts included pieces of fake news. 1420 posts were of general interest. Four out of the 6 Influencers had written only posts with correct medical information (3 were pwMS, 1 was a Neurologist) and never any fake news. The remaining 2 appointed Influencers (2 pwMS) had written only posts about general interests. CONCLUSION the identification of fake news and their authors has shown that the latter are never appointed as Influencers. SMsocialnetwork.com acted as a "web safe environment" where the Influencers contributed by sharing only correct medical information and never fake news. We speculate that the presence of neurologists and psychologists supervising the information flow might have contributed to reduce the risk of fake news spreading and to avoid their acquisition of authoritative meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Lavorgna
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy.
| | - M De Stefano
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - M Sparaco
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - M Moccia
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - G Abbadessa
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - P Montella
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - D Buonanno
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - S Esposito
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - M Clerico
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - C Cenci
- Center for Digital Health Humanities, Rome, Italy
| | - F Trojsi
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - R Lanzillo
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - L Rosa
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - V Brescia Morra
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - D Ippolito
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - G Maniscalco
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - A Bisecco
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - G Tedeschi
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
| | - S Bonavita
- Ist Clinic of Neurology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Italy
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Urbanoski K, van Mierlo T, Cunningham J. Investigating Patterns of Participation in an Online Support Group for Problem Drinking: a Social Network Analysis. Int J Behav Med 2018; 24:703-712. [PMID: 27549786 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-016-9591-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study contributes to emerging literature on online health networks by modeling communication patterns between members of a moderated online support group for problem drinking. Using social network analysis, we described members' patterns of joint participation in threads, parsing out the role of site moderators, and explored differences in member characteristics by network position. METHODS Posts made to the online support group of Alcohol Help Centre during 2013 were structured as a two-mode network of members (n = 205) connected via threads (n = 506). Metrics included degree centrality, clique membership, and tie strength. RESULTS The network consisted of one component and no cliques of members, although most made few posts and a small number communicated only with the site's moderators. Highly active members were older and tended to have started posting prior to 2013. The distribution of members across threads varied from threads containing posts by one member to others that connected multiple members. Moderators accounted for sizable proportions of the connectivity between both members and threads. CONCLUSIONS After 5 years of operation, the AHC online support group appears to be fairly cohesive and stable, in the sense that there were no isolated subnetworks comprised of specific types of members or devoted to specific topics. Participation and connectedness at the member-level was varied, however, and tended to be low on average. The moderators were among the most central in the network, although there were also members who emerged as central and dedicated contributors to the online discussions across topics. Study findings highlight a number of areas for consideration by online support group developers and managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Urbanoski
- Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, University of Victoria, 2300 MacKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada.
| | - Trevor van Mierlo
- Evolution Health Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada
- Henley Business School, University of Reading, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - John Cunningham
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- National Institute for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Latent sentiment topic modelling and nonparametric discovery of online mental health-related communities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41060-017-0073-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Sharma V, Holmes JH, Sarkar IN. Identifying Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage Information from Internet Resources. A Systematic Review. Methods Inf Med 2016; 55:322-32. [PMID: 27352304 PMCID: PMC4975632 DOI: 10.3414/me15-01-0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Identify and highlight research issues and methods used in studying Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) information needs, access, and exchange over the Internet. METHODS A literature search was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines from PubMed to identify articles that have studied Internet use in the CAM context. Additional searches were conducted at Nature.com and Google Scholar. RESULTS The Internet provides a major medium for attaining CAM information and can also serve as an avenue for conducting CAM related surveys. Based on the literature analyzed in this review, there seems to be significant interest in developing methodologies for identifying CAM treatments, including the analysis of search query data and social media platform discussions. Several studies have also underscored the challenges in developing approaches for identifying the reliability of CAM-related information on the Internet, which may not be supported with reliable sources. The overall findings of this review suggest that there are opportunities for developing approaches for making available accurate information and developing ways to restrict the spread and sale of potentially harmful CAM products and information. CONCLUSIONS Advances in Internet research are yet to be used in context of understanding CAM prevalence and perspectives. Such approaches may provide valuable insights into the current trends and needs in context of CAM use and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Indra N Sarkar
- Indra Neil Sarkar, Ph.D., MLIS, Center for Biomedical Informatics, Brown University, Box G-R, Providence, RI 02912, USA, E-mail:
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Carron-Arthur B, Reynolds J, Bennett K, Bennett A, Cunningham JA, Griffiths KM. Community Structure of a Mental Health Internet Support Group: Modularity in User Thread Participation. JMIR Ment Health 2016; 3:e20. [PMID: 27242012 PMCID: PMC4906237 DOI: 10.2196/mental.4961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the community structure of mental health Internet support groups, quantitatively. A greater understanding of the factors, which lead to user interaction, is needed to explain the design information of these services and future research concerning their utility. OBJECTIVE A study was conducted to determine the characteristics of users associated with the subgroup community structure of an Internet support group for mental health issues. METHODS A social network analysis of the Internet support group BlueBoard (blueboard.anu.edu.au) was performed to determine the modularity of the community using the Louvain method. Demographic characteristics age, gender, residential location, type of user (consumer, carer, or other), registration date, and posting frequency in subforums (depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, carers, general (eg, "chit chat"), and suggestions box) of the BlueBoard users were assessed as potential predictors of the resulting subgroup structure. RESULTS The analysis of modularity identified five main subgroups in the BlueBoard community. Registration date was found to be the largest contributor to the modularity outcome as observed by multinomial logistic regression. The addition of this variable to the final model containing all other factors improved its classification accuracy by 46.3%, that is, from 37.9% to 84.2%. Further investigation of this variable revealed that the most active and central users registered significantly earlier than the median registration time in each group. CONCLUSIONS The five subgroups resembled five generations of BlueBoard in distinct eras that transcended discussion about different mental health issues. This finding may be due to the activity of highly engaged and central users who communicate with many other users. Future research should seek to determine the generalizability of this finding and investigate the role that highly active and central users may play in the formation of this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Carron-Arthur
- National Institute for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Acton, Australia.
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Carron-Arthur B, Ali K, Cunningham JA, Griffiths KM. From Help-Seekers to Influential Users: A Systematic Review of Participation Styles in Online Health Communities. J Med Internet Res 2015; 17:e271. [PMID: 26627369 PMCID: PMC4704975 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.4705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding how people participate in and contribute to online health communities (OHCs) is useful knowledge in multiple domains. It is helpful for community managers in developing strategies for building community, for organizations in disseminating information about health interventions, and for researchers in understanding the social dynamics of peer support. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine if any patterns were apparent in the nature of user participation across online health communities. METHODS The current study involved a systematic review of all studies that have investigated the nature of participation in an online health community and have provided a quantifiable method for categorizing a person based on their participation style. A systematic search yielded 20 papers. RESULTS Participatory styles were classified as either multidimensional (based on multiple metrics) or unidimensional (based on one metric). With respect to the multidimensional category, a total of 41 different participation styles were identified ranging from Influential Users who were leaders on the board to Topic-Focused Responders who focused on a specific topic and tended to respond to rather than initiate posts. However, there was little overlap in participation styles identified both across OHCs for different health conditions and within OHCs for specific health conditions. Five of the 41 styles emerged in more than one study (Hubs, Authorities, Facilitators, Prime Givers, and Discussants), but the remainder were reported in only one study. The focus of the unidimensional studies was on level of engagement and particularly on high-engaged users. Eight different metrics were used to evaluate level of engagement with the greatest focus on frequency of posts. CONCLUSIONS With the exception of high-engaged users based on high post frequency, the current review found little evidence for consistent participatory styles across different health communities. However, this area of research is in its infancy, with most of the studies included in the review being published in the last 2 years. Nevertheless, the review delivers a nomenclature for OHC participation styles and metrics and discusses important methodological issues that will provide a basis for future comparative research in the area. Further studies are required to systematically investigate a range of participatory styles, to investigate their association with different types of online health communities and to determine the contribution of different participatory styles within and across online health communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Carron-Arthur
- National Institute for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Acton, Australia.
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Fernández-Luque L, Bau T. Health and social media: perfect storm of information. Healthc Inform Res 2015; 21:67-73. [PMID: 25995958 PMCID: PMC4434065 DOI: 10.4258/hir.2015.21.2.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The use of Internet in the health domain is becoming a major worldwide trend. Millions of citizens are searching online health information and also publishing content about their health. Patients are engaging with other patients in online communities using different types of social media. The boundaries between mobile health, social media, wearable, games, and big data are becoming blurrier due the integration of all those technologies. In this paper we provide an overview of the major research challenges with the area of health social media. Methods We use several study cases to exemplify the current trends and highlight future research challenges. Results Internet is exploding and is being used for health purposes by a great deal of the population. Social networks have a powerful influence in health decisions. Given the lack of knowledge on the use of health social media, there is a need for complex multidisciplinary research to help us understand how to use social networks in favour of public health. A bigger understanding of social media will give health authorities new tools to help decision-making at global, national, local, and corporate level. Conclusions There is an unprecedented amount of data that can be used in public health due the potential combination of data acquired from mobile phones, Electronic Health Records, social media, and other sources. To identify meaningful information from those data sources it is not trial. Moreover, new analytics tools will need to be developed to analyse those sources of data in a way that it can benefit healthcare professionals and authorities.
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Haux R, Lehmann CU. From bed to bench: bridging from informatics practice to theory: an exploratory analysis. Appl Clin Inform 2015; 5:907-15. [PMID: 25589906 DOI: 10.4338/aci-2014-10-ra-0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2009, Applied Clinical Informatics (ACI)--focused on applications in clinical informatics--was launched as a companion journal to Methods of Information in Medicine (MIM). Both journals are official journals of the International Medical Informatics Association. OBJECTIVES To explore which congruencies and interdependencies exist in publications from theory to practice and from practice to theory and to determine existing gaps. Major topics discussed in ACI and MIM were analyzed. We explored if the intention of publishing companion journals to provide an information bridge from informatics theory to informatics practice and vice versa could be supported by this model. In this manuscript we will report on congruencies and interdependences from practice to theory and on major topics in MIM. METHODS Retrospective, prolective observational study on recent publications of ACI and MIM. All publications of the years 2012 and 2013 were indexed and analyzed. RESULTS Hundred and ninety-six publications were analyzed (ACI 87, MIM 109). In MIM publications, modelling aspects as well as methodological and evaluation approaches for the analysis of data, information, and knowledge in biomedicine and health care were frequently raised - and often discussed from an interdisciplinary point of view. Important themes were ambient-assisted living, anatomic spatial relations, biomedical informatics as scientific discipline, boosting, coding, computerized physician order entry, data analysis, grid and cloud computing, health care systems and services, health-enabling technologies, health information search, health information systems, imaging, knowledge-based decision support, patient records, signal analysis, and web science. Congruencies between journals could be found in themes, but with a different focus on content. Interdependencies from practice to theory, found in these publications, were only limited. CONCLUSIONS Bridging from informatics theory to practice and vice versa remains a major component of successful research and practice as well as a major challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Haux
- Peter L. Reichertz Institute for Medical Informatics, University of Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School , Germany
| | - C U Lehmann
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, TN, USA
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Gomez-Galvez P, Suarez Mejias C, Fernandez-Luque L. Social media for empowering people with diabetes: Current status and future trends. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015; 2015:2135-2138. [PMID: 26736711 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2015.7318811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The use of social media has become commonplace in society. Consequently, many people living with chronic conditions are turning to social media applications to support self-management. This paper presents a formative non-exhaustive review of research literature regarding the role of social media for diabetes type II empowerment. In our review, we identified several major areas for diabetes health social media research, namely: a) social network data analytics, b) mHealth and diabetes, c) gamification for diabetes, c) wearable, and d) MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). In all these areas, we analyzed how social media is being used and the challenges emerging from its application in the diabetes domain.
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Sudau F, Friede T, Grabowski J, Koschack J, Makedonski P, Himmel W. Sources of information and behavioral patterns in online health forums: observational study. J Med Internet Res 2014; 16:e10. [PMID: 24425598 PMCID: PMC3958625 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing numbers of patients are raising their voice in online forums. This shift is welcome as an act of patient autonomy, reflected in the term “expert patient”. At the same time, there is considerable concern that patients can be easily misguided by pseudoscientific research and debate. Little is known about the sources of information used in health-related online forums, how users apply this information, and how they behave in such forums. Objective The intent of the study was to identify (1) the sources of information used in online health-related forums, and (2) the roles and behavior of active forum visitors in introducing and disseminating this information. Methods This observational study used the largest German multiple sclerosis (MS) online forum as a database, analyzing the user debate about the recently proposed and controversial Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) hypothesis. After extracting all posts and then filtering relevant CCSVI posts between 01 January 2008 and 17 August 2012, we first identified hyperlinks to scientific publications and other information sources used or referenced in the posts. Employing k-means clustering, we then analyzed the users’ preference for sources of information and their general posting habits. Results Of 139,912 posts from 11,997 threads, 8628 posts discussed or at least mentioned CCSVI. We detected hyperlinks pointing to CCSVI-related scientific publications in 31 posts. In contrast, 2829 different URLs were posted to the forum, most frequently referring to social media, such as YouTube or Facebook. We identified a total of 6 different roles of hyperlink posters including Social Media Fans, Organization Followers, and Balanced Source Users. Apart from the large and nonspecific residual category of the “average user”, several specific behavior patterns were identified, such as the small but relevant groups of CCSVI-Focused Responders or CCSVI Activators. Conclusions The bulk of the observed contributions were not based on scientific results, but on various social media sources. These sources seem to contain mostly opinions and personal experience. A small group of people with distinct behavioral patterns played a core role in fuelling the discussion about CCSVI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Sudau
- Institute of Computer Science, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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Denecke K, Krieck M, Otrusina L, Smrz P, Dolog P, Nejdl W, Velasco E. How to exploit twitter for public health monitoring? Methods Inf Med 2013; 52:326-39. [PMID: 23877537 DOI: 10.3414/me12-02-0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Detecting hints to public health threats as early as possible is crucial to prevent harm from the population. However, many disease surveillance strategies rely upon data whose collection requires explicit reporting (data transmitted from hospitals, laboratories or physicians). Collecting reports takes time so that the reaction time grows. Moreover, context information on individual cases is often lost in the collection process. This paper describes a system that tries to address these limitations by processing social media for identifying information on public health threats. The primary objective is to study the usefulness of the approach for supporting the monitoring of a population's health status. METHODS The developed system works in three main steps: Data from Twitter, blogs, and forums as well as from TV and radio channels are continuously collected and filtered by means of keyword lists. Sentences of relevant texts are classified relevant or irrelevant using a binary classifier based on support vector machines. By means of statistical methods known from biosurveillance, the relevant sentences are further analyzed and signals are generated automatically when unexpected behavior is detected. From the generated signals a subset is selected for presentation to a user by matching with user queries or profiles. In a set of evaluation experiments, public health experts assessed the generated signals with respect to correctness and relevancy. In particular, it was assessed how many relevant and irrelevant signals are generated during a specific time period. RESULTS The experiments show that the system provides information on health events identified in social media. Signals are mainly generated from Twitter messages posted by news agencies. Personal tweets, i.e. tweets from persons observing some symptoms, only play a minor role for signal generation given a limited volume of relevant messages. Relevant signals referring to real world outbreaks were generated by the system and monitored by epidemiologists for example during the European football championship. But, the number of relevant signals among generated signals is still very small: The different experiments yielded a proportion between 5 and 20% of signals regarded as "relevant" by the users. Vaccination or education campaigns communicated via Twitter as well as use of medical terms in other contexts than for outbreak reporting led to the generation of irrelevant signals. CONCLUSIONS The aggregation of information into signals results in a reduction of monitoring effort compared to other existing systems. Against expectations, only few messages are of personal nature, reporting on personal symptoms. Instead, media reports are distributed over social media channels. Despite the high percentage of irrelevant signals generated by the system, the users reported that the effort in monitoring aggregated information in form of signals is less demanding than monitoring huge social-media data streams manually. It remains for the future to develop strategies for reducing false alarms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Denecke
- Innovation Center Computer Assisted Surgery, Leipzig, Germany.
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