Patients' Perspectives on Informational Support and Education in the Perinatal Period: "The Quicker They Could Be Done With Me, the Better"

INTRODUCTION

The overall purpose of this study was to elicit perspectives from a diverse group of postpartum individuals about their perinatal outpatient informational support and education. In addition, suggestions from participants are provided. Although informational support is crucial in the peripartum period, it is often inadequate or biased. Qualitative research, which offers a nuanced and patient-centered perspective, is limited. The qualitive research that does exist is limited to the prenatal period only, neglecting perspectives throughout the entire peripartum period.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study was part of a larger observational cross-sectional study of postpartum individuals in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2017. Two years after the initial study (2019), participants were recruited into 8 focus groups. Trained facilitators guided focus group conversations using semistructured interview questions. The questions centered on overall experiences with perinatal outpatient health care experiences and informational support. Thematic analyses were used in data analysis. Interrater reliability between coders ranged from 92% to 100%.

RESULTS

Fifty-four individuals (22.1% response rate) participated in a total of 12 focus groups. The overarching theme was the need for recognition of individuality of patients. Three subthemes emerged, including time, multiple modalities of information support, and agency.

DISCUSSION

This study extended previous qualitative findings across the entire peripartum period and that individualized prenatal care is an important distinction in perceived quality of care. Health care organizations should consider allocating time differently for perinatal office visits, offer flexible visit times based on individualized needs, offer information in multiple modalities, and promote agency of patients. This study was strengthened by the community involvement, women of color only focus groups, and oversampling of Black women. This study was limited by the self-selected, homogenous sample and potential for recall bias.

Characterizing online social support for alcohol use disorder: A mixed-methods approach

BACKGROUND

Online social media communities are increasingly popular venues for discussing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and recovery. Little is known about distinct contexts of social support that are exchanged in this milieu, which are critical to understanding the social dynamics of online recovery support.

METHODS

We randomly selected one post per day over the span of a year from the StopDrinking recovery forum. Direct responses to posts were double coded within an established theoretical framework of social support. Within a mixed-methods research framework, we quantified the linguistic characteristics of 1386 responses (i.e., text length, complexity, and sentiment) and qualitatively explored themes within and among different types of social support.

RESULTS

Emotional support was most prevalent (74% of responses) and appeared as the sole form of support in 38% of responses. Emotionally supportive responses were significantly shorter, less complex, and more positively valenced than other support types. Appraisal support was also common in 55% of responses, while informational support was identified in only 17%. There was substantial overlap among support types, with 40% of responses including two or more types. Salient themes included the common use of community-specific acronyms in emotional support. Appraisal support conveyed feedback about attitudes and behaviors that are perceived as (un-) favorable for AUD recovery. Informational support responses were composed primarily of recommendations for self-help literature, clinical treatment approaches, and peer recovery programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support in this sample was primarily emotional in nature, with other types of support included to provide feedback and guidance (i.e., appraisal support) and supplemental recovery resources (i.e., informational support). The provided social support framework can be helpful in characterizing community dynamics among heterogeneous online AUD recovery support forums. This framework could also be helpful in considering changes in support approaches that correspond to progress in recovery.

Social and Cultural Factors, Self-efficacy, and Health in Latino Cancer Caregivers

BACKGROUND

Latino cancer caregivers are at risk of physical, mental, and emotional health issues. Sociocultural factors such as informational support, Anglo orientation, and spiritual practice may compound or protect against these risks.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research project was to examine self-efficacy as a mediator between sociocultural factors and health outcomes in Latino cancer caregivers.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of baseline caregiver data from an experimental study testing two psychoeducational interventions in Latina individuals with breast cancer and their caregivers. Caregivers (N = 233) completed items assessing self-efficacy, informational support, Anglo orientation, spiritual practice, depression, and global health. Caregiver data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression and mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Spiritual well-being was not significantly associated with health outcomes or self-efficacy. In regression analysis, both informational support ( b = 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20 to 0.45; P < .001) and Anglo orientation ( b = 0.15; 95% CI, 0.11 to 2.48; P < .05) were significant predictors of global health, but informational support ( b = -0.43; 95% CI, -0.55 to -0.30; P < .001) was the only significant predictor of depression. There were indirect relationships through self-efficacy for symptom management for both informational support and Anglo orientation and health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Informational support and Anglo orientation were significantly related to health outcomes directly and indirectly through self-efficacy in Latino cancer caregivers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Informational support through the health system and community, when provided with attention to culture and Spanish language translation, can increase Latino cancer caregivers' self-efficacy to care for themselves and improve health outcomes.

The quality of informational social support in online health communities: A content analysis of cancer-related discussions

Objective

Informational social support is one of the main reasons for patients to visit online health communities (OHCs). Calls have been made to investigate the objective quality of such support in the light of a worrying number of inaccurate online health-related information. The main aim of this study is to conceptualize the Quality of Informational Social Support (QISS) and develop and test a measure of QISS for content analysis. A further aim is to investigate the level of QISS in cancer-related messages in the largest OHC in Slovenia and examine the differences among various types of discussion forums, namely, online consultation forums, online support group forums, and socializing forums.

Methods

A multidimensional measurement instrument was developed, which included 20 items in a coding scheme for a content analysis of cancer-related messages. On a set of almost three million posts published between 2015 and 2019, a machine-learning algorithm was used to detect cancer-related discussions in the OHC. We then identified the messages providing informational social support, and through quantitative content analysis, three experts coded a random sample of 403 cancer-related messages for the QISS.

Results

The results demonstrate a good level of interrater reliability and agreement for a QISS scale with six dimensions, each demonstrating good internal consistency. The results reveal large differences among the social support, socializing, and consultation forums, with the latter recording significantly higher quality in terms of accuracy (M = 4.48, P < .001), trustworthiness (M = 4.65, P < .001), relevance (M = 3.59, P < .001), and justification (M = 3.81, P = .05) in messages providing informational social support regarding cancer-related issues.

Conclusions

This study provides the research field with a valid tool to further investigate the factors and consequences of varying quality of information exchanged in supportive communication. From a practical perspective, OHCs should dedicate more resources and develop mechanisms for the professional moderation of health-related topics in socializing forums and thereby suppress the publication and dissemination of low-quality information among OHC users and visitors.

The impact of online health community engagement on lifestyle changes: A serially mediated model

Background

Due to reduced physical labor and increased food availability, making healthy lifestyle changes is becoming increasingly challenging. Prior studies have suggested that strong ties (such as friends or family members) help promote positive lifestyle behavior changes while weak ties like online friends hardly make a difference in activating healthy lifestyle changes. More recent studies have found evidence of positive lifestyle changes brought about by health APPs. Yet, the process through which online health community (OHC) engagement is related to healthy lifestyle changes has not been fully explored.

Methods

Drawing on social network theory and the self-efficacy literature, we argued that the information and emotional support which users obtained from OHCs is positively associated with health self-efficacy, which in turn is positively associated with lifestyle changes. Then we constructed a serially mediated model between OHC engagement and healthy lifestyle changes and collected 320 valid questionnaires through an online survey. We tested the model by applying structural equation modeling via Mplus 8.3, which uses bootstrapping (5,000 samples) to test the significance of the mediated paths.

Results

This study demonstrated that the informational and emotional support that users receive from OHC engagement positively affects healthy lifestyle changes via the mediating role of health self-efficacy. We also found that healthy lifestyle changes are an outcome of enhanced health self-efficacy through the effect of informational and emotional support from OHC engagement.

Conclusions

Our findings help explain how OHC users make healthy lifestyle changes by utilizing the informational and emotional support to develop health self-efficacy. The results also highlight the value of informational and emotional support as important resources which users acquire from OHC engagement. Thus, we suggest that OHC users utilize the informational and emotional support to enhance health self-efficacy and facilitate healthy lifestyle changes. Future research could explore the dynamic process through which OHC engagement influences lifestyle changes by designing longitudinal research and addressing the limitations of the present study.

Aligned and Divergent Perceptions of Support Persons' Role in Triadic Gynecologic Cancer Communication

Health care providers routinely advise cancer patients to involve support persons in oncology care to fulfill critical support roles. This qualitative descriptive study explored alignment of triadic perceptions of support person involvement in oncology treatment visits and cancer-related care from the perspectives of patients with gynecologic cancer (n = 18), regular visit-attending support people (n = 16), and health care providers (n = 10), including oncologists, nurses, and medical assistants. Semi-structured interviews (N = 44) captured perceptions of facilitation and interference of support persons' roles within and outside appointments with oncology providers. Thematic analyses revealed alignment and divergence regarding support persons' instrumental, informational, and emotional support behaviors. Perspectives aligned regarding what support functions companions provide. However, patients and support persons emphasized the significance of instrumental followed by informational and emotional support, whereas oncology providers highlighted informational, followed by emotional and instrumental support. Discussion provides insight into each role's perspective in the triad.

Shared-decision-making Behavior in Hospitalized Patients: Investigating the Impact of Patient's Trust in Physicians, Emotional Support, Informational Support, and Tendency to Excuse Using a Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Patient participation in care decisions is facilitated by shared-decision-making (SDM). This study, therefore, aims to explore the impact of patient's trust in physicians, emotional support, informational support, and tendency to excuse on SDM. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the medical-surgical wards of 6 similar-sized public hospitals in Tabriz, northwest Iran, using a self-administered questionnaire, with 321 cases collected from October to December 2019. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used to test the hypothetical model. Using the SEM approach, the findings fully confirmed the study hypothesis, and patients' trust in physician (Beta = -0.44), emotional support (Beta = 0.29), tendency to excuse (Beta = 0.18), and informational support (Beta = 0.58) predicted the inpatient's SDM behavior (R 2 = 0.65, goodness-of-fit index = 0.902). To improve patient outcomes, physicians might advise incorporating techniques such as improving patient trust, informational and emotional supports to improve SDM. Improving the psychosocial skills of physicians also seems to be essential to help patients express their concerns.

Factors Associated With Informational Support in Transitional Care for Older Adults With Chronic Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study

To evaluate the current situation and associated factors of informational support for older adults with chronic diseases in transitional care. Study was conducted in five hospitals of five different cities in Jiangsu Province, China. A random cluster sample of 800 older adults with chronic diseases responded to the informational support questionnaire of transitional care survey. Descriptive analysis, t-tests, variance analysis, and stepwise multiple linear regression were used to analyze data. The STROBE statement for observational studies was applied. Total score of ISQTC for older adults with chronic diseases was (44.05 ± 17.21). Marital status, educational level, past occupation, close friends, medical insurance, complications, and exercise habits were significantly correlated with informational support. The level of informational support in transitional care for older adults with chronic diseases was low. Clinical staff should periodically and primarily assess their informational support, help find information resources for those who have low initial informational support, and identify which information they preferred to carry out accurate transitional care.

The Exchange of Informational Support in Online Health Communities at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis

Background

Online health communities (OHCs) provide social support for ongoing health-related problems. COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has been an acute and substantial stressor worldwide. The disease and its impact, especially in the beginning phases, left many people with questions about the nature, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19. Unlike typical chronic ailments discussed on OHCs, which are more established, COVID-19, at least at the onset of the pandemic, is distinct in that it lacks a consensus of clinical diagnosis and an existing community foundation.

Objective

The study aims to investigate a newly formed OHC for COVID-19 to determine the topics and types of information exchange as well as the sources of information this community referenced during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Methods

A total of 357 posts from a COVID-19 OHC on the MedHelp platform were annotated according to an open-coding process. Participants’ engagement patterns, topics of posts, and sources of information were quantified.

Results

Participants who offered informational support had a significantly higher percentage of responding more than once than those seeking information (P<.001). Among the information-seeking topics, symptoms and public health practice and psychological impacts were the most frequently discussed, with 26% (17/65) and 15% (10/65) of posts, respectively. Most informational support was expressed through feedback/opinion (181/220, 82.3%). Additionally, the most frequently referenced source of information was news outlets/websites, at 55% (11/20). Governmental websites were referenced less frequently.

Conclusions

The trends of this community could be useful in prioritizing public health responses to address the most common questions asked by the public during crisis communication and in identifying which venue of communication is most effective in reaching a public audience during such times.

Digital social support for undergraduate students during COVID-19: Pivotal support for the digital transformation

BACKGROUND

In a time of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, digital social support can prove helpful in buffering the stress and anxiety especially for students whose lives were being affected both socially and academically. The present study aims to explore the emotional and informational social support available to students during the online transformation of their education. It further investigates factors affecting anxiety and stress among students.

DESIGN AND METHODS

An online survey was administered among 479 undergraduate students at a private university in Saudi Arabia from 2nd March till 17th June 2020. Descriptive analysis was used to report the findings of students' self-reported data.

RESULTS

The results revealed that more than 70% of the students reported that they were satisfied with the informational and emotional support available to them via digital platforms. However, they felt less connected with the teachers and academic administration. Feeling sick (46%), being locked down at homes and isolation (43%) were major causes of stress and anxiety. 71% of the students reported their ability to keep themselves busy, however, only 55% of students mentioned that they did not feel lonely while confined to their homes. In these circumstances, the continuation of studies via online platforms helped students reduce stress and anxiety (52%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although this online transformation was not planned, the university was able to provide adequate informational support to the students. However, students were dependent upon friends, family and relatives for emotional support. The results of the study point towards the need of training for teachers and academic administrative staff in order to better address students' needs for social support during the crisis.  The results also contribute to the body of data reporting the various effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students in a way to reach a sustainable framework for supporting students.

Does Online Community Participation Contribute to Medication Adherence? An Empirical Study of Patients with Chronic Diseases

Effectively improving the medication adherence of patients is crucial. Past studies focused on treatment-related factors, but little attention has been paid to factors concerning human beliefs such as trust or self-efficacy. The purpose of this study is to explore the following aspects of patients with chronic diseases: (1) The relationship between emotional support, informational support, self-efficacy, and trust; (2) the relationship between self-efficacy, trust, and medication adherence; and, (3) whether chronic patients’ participation in different types of online communities brings about significant statistical differences in the relationships between the abovementioned variables. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study, with 452 valid questionnaires collected from chronic patients previously participating in online community activities. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that emotional support and informational support positively predict self-efficacy and trust, respectively, and consequently, self-efficacy and trust positively predict medication adherence. In addition, three relationships including the influence of emotional support on trust, the influence of trust on medication adherence, and the influence of self-efficacy on medication adherence, the types of online communities result in significant statistical differences. Based on the findings, this research suggests healthcare professionals can enhance patients’ self-efficacy in self-care by providing necessary health information via face-to-face or online communities, and assuring patients of demonstrable support. As such, patients’ levels of trust in healthcare professionals can be established, which in turn improves their medication adherence.

Does Usage of Online Social Media Help Users With Depressed Symptoms Improve Their Mental Health? Empirical Evidence From an Online Depression Community

Online depression communities offer people with depressed symptoms new opportunities to obtain health information and provide social support for each other to fight against the depression. We sought to investigate whether usage of online community help improve depression outcomes and determine which types of usage behaviors have positive or negative effects on depression. We proposed that two dimensions of the sense of belonging (sense of identity and trust) and three dimensions of the sense of support (informational, emotional, and socializing) have significant effects on depression, and further considered gender difference and its effect on depression. We obtained a dataset consisting of 465,337 posts from 244 members from a popular online depression community to test all 10 proposed hypotheses. The results reveal that (i) the sense of shared identity, trust, informational support, and emotional support have positive effects on depression, while socializing support have negative effects on depression, and (ii) the sense of shared identity and trust have more positive effects on depression for female users than male users while socializing support has a more negative effect on depression for female users than for male users. The findings have important practical implications for designers and managers of online depression communities.

Development of Social Support Networks by Patients With Depression Through Online Health Communities: Social Network Analysis

Background

In recent years, people with mental health problems are increasingly using online social networks to receive social support. For example, in online depression communities, patients can share their experiences, exchange valuable information, and receive emotional support to help them cope with their disease. Therefore, it is critical to understand how patients with depression develop online social support networks to exchange informational and emotional support.

Objective

Our aim in this study was to investigate which user attributes have significant effects on the formation of informational and emotional support networks in online depression communities and to further examine whether there is an association between the two social networks.

Methods

We used social network theory and constructed exponential random graph models to help understand the informational and emotional support networks in online depression communities. A total of 74,986 original posts were retrieved from 1077 members in an online depression community in China from April 2003 to September 2017 and the available data were extracted. An informational support network of 1077 participant nodes and 6557 arcs and an emotional support network of 1077 participant nodes and 6430 arcs were constructed to examine the endogenous (purely structural) effects and exogenous (actor-relation) effects on each support network separately, as well as the cross-network effects between the two networks.

Results

We found significant effects of two important structural features, reciprocity and transitivity, on the formation of both the informational support network (r=3.6247, P<.001, and r=1.6232, P<.001, respectively) and the emotional support network (r=4.4111, P<.001, and r=0.0177, P<.001, respectively). The results also showed significant effects of some individual factors on the formation of the two networks. No significant effects of homophily were found for gender (r=0.0783, P=.20, and r=0.1122, P=.25, respectively) in the informational or emotional support networks. There was no tendency for users who had great influence (r=0.3253, P=.05) or wrote more posts (r=0.3896, P=.07) or newcomers (r=–0.0452, P=.66) to form informational support ties more easily. However, users who spent more time online (r=0.6680, P<.001) or provided more replies to other posts (r=0.5026, P<.001) were more likely to form informational support ties. Users who had a big influence (r=0.8325, P<.001), spent more time online (r=0.5839, P<.001), wrote more posts (r=2.4025, P<.001), or provided more replies to other posts (r=0.2259, P<.001) were more likely to form emotional support ties, and newcomers (r=–0.4224, P<.001) were less likely than old-timers to receive emotional support. In addition, we found that there was a significant entrainment effect (r=0.7834, P<.001) and a nonsignificant exchange effect (r=–0.2757, P=.32) between the two networks.

Conclusions

This study makes several important theoretical contributions to the research on online depression communities and has important practical implications for the managers of online depression communities and the users involved in these communities.

The Effectiveness of a Web-Based Health Education Tool, WESIHAT 2.0, among Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background:

Intervention strategies, especially online based approaches, are considered to be beneficial in improving the health of the senior. The effectiveness of such approaches is yet to be determined.

Objective:

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the web-based application, WESIHAT 2.0©, for improving cognitive function, physical fitness, biochemical indices, and psychosocial variables among older adults in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The cost analysis of WESIHAT 2.0© was also determined.

Method:

The study utilized a two-arm randomized controlled trial with 25 subjects in each of the intervention and control groups. The participants chosen for the study included those who were 60 years and above with at least secondary education and had internet access using a computer at home. The intervention group was exposed to the website (30 minutes per day, 4 days per week) for six months, while the control group was given health education pamphlets. Activity-Based Costing method was used to determine the cost saved using WESIHAT 2.0© as compared to using the pamphlet.

Results:

Significant intervention effects were observed for self-perception of disability and informational support scores. WESIHAT 2.0© was able to save costs in improving the self-perception of disability score and the informational support score at MYR 6.92 and MYR 13.52, respectively, compared to the conventional method.

Conclusion:

WESIHAT 2.0© was able to save costs in improving the self-perceived disability and informational support scores for the intervention group.

Social Support Moderates the Negative Association Between Reduced Driving and Life Satisfaction in Older Adults

When older adults reduce their driving, there can be subsequent decreases in life satisfaction. In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data from the multi-site Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study to examine whether social support moderates the negative association between reduced driving and life satisfaction. The outcome variable was life satisfaction, and the main predictor variable was past-year reduced driving (yes/no). Emotional, instrumental, and informational social support were measured using PROMIS v2.0 (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) items. We used generalized linear regression models to examine how social support moderated the association between reduced driving and life satisfaction. Statistical adjustment for social support attenuated the negative effect of reduced driving on life satisfaction by ~10% for all three types of social support.

Social Relationships, Age and the Use of Preventive Health Services: Findings from the German Ageing Survey

This paper investigates the associations between social relationships, age and the use of preventive health services among German adults. Data stem from the German Ageing Survey (10,324 respondents). The use of preventive health services was assessed by asking for regular use of flu vaccination and cancer screening in the past years. Predictors of interest were structural (having a partner, size of the social network) and functional aspects of social relationships (perceived informational support) and age. Logistic regression models were used to measure the associations between preventive health services use and these predictors. Self-perceived health, gender and education were considered as covariates. Having a partner (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.07-1.34) and perceived informational support (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.13-1.69) were associated with a higher probability of getting flu vaccination regularly over the past years. Informational support (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.17-1.72) and having a partner (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.41-1.75) were positively associated with regular cancer screening over the past years. Associations between the size of the social network and use of preventive health services were not statistically significant. Associations between the use of preventive health services and social relationships varied by age. Structural and functional aspects of social relationships may support preventive health behavior. To increase preventive health behavior and the use of preventive health services, it is necessary to integrate information on social relationships into routine care and to strengthen sources of social support.

Impact of Emotional Support, Informational Support, and Norms of Reciprocity on Trust Toward the Medical Aesthetic Community: The Moderating Effect of Core Self-Evaluations

BACKGROUND

The consumption of medical aesthetic services has become popular in recent years. Many people have purchased medical aesthetic services and treatments in pursuit of self-beauty. When members of online medical aesthetic communities actively participate in discussions and encourage and support one another, there is an increase in community commitment, trust toward each other, and trust toward the community, ultimately promoting social sharing in an environment of positive feedback.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore via the theory of social support-grounded in a deeper social capabilities framework developed by Khan following the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's groundbreaking work-whether emotional support, informational support, and norms of reciprocity in online communities impact group members in terms of creating trust toward other members. This enhances trust toward the community and generates a sense of community commitment, ultimately impacting social buying intention and social sharing intention.

METHODS

This study used IBM SPSS and AMOS to analyze data. Data were collected through online questionnaires in online medical aesthetic community forums, thereby producing samples that were both representative and accurate. To understand whether core self-evaluation (CSE) is a moderator in the relationship between social sharing intention and social buying intention, this study averaged the point of CSEs in the sample after statistical analysis, dividing the sample into 2 groups.

RESULTS

The results showed that emotional support and norms of reciprocity positively impact trust toward members, and trust toward members positively impact trust toward the community. This generates trust transfer, which positively impacts social buying intention and social sharing intention. At the same time, CSE is a moderator variable between trust toward the community and social buying intention, but CSE is not a moderator variable between trust toward the community and social sharing intention.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that when members of online medical aesthetic communities actively participate in discussions and encourage and support one another, community commitment, trust toward each other, and trust toward the community increases, ultimately promoting social sharing and buying intentions.

Comparing Crowdsourcing and Friendsourcing: A Social Media-Based Feasibility Study to Support Alzheimer Disease Caregivers

Background

In the United States, over 15 million informal caregivers provide unpaid care to people with Alzheimer disease (AD). Compared with others in their age group, AD caregivers have higher rates of stress, and medical and psychiatric illnesses. Psychosocial interventions improve the health of caregivers. However, constraints of time, distance, and availability inhibit the use of these services. Newer online technologies, such as social media, online groups, friendsourcing, and crowdsourcing, present alternative methods of delivering support. However, limited work has been done in this area with caregivers.

Objective

The primary aims of this study were to determine (1) the feasibility of innovating peer support group work delivered through social media with friendsourcing, (2) whether the intervention provides an acceptable method for AD caregivers to obtain support, and (3) whether caregiver outcomes were affected by the intervention. A Facebook app provided support to AD caregivers through collecting friendsourced answers to caregiver questions from participants’ social networks. The study’s secondary aim was to descriptively compare friendsourced answers versus crowdsourced answers.

Methods

We recruited AD caregivers online to participate in a 6-week-long asynchronous, online, closed group on Facebook, where caregivers received support through moderator prompts, group member interactions, and friendsourced answers to caregiver questions. We surveyed and interviewed participants before and after the online group to assess their needs, views on technology, and experience with the intervention. Caregiver questions were pushed automatically to the participants’ Facebook News Feed, allowing participants’ Facebook friends to see and post answers to the caregiver questions (Friendsourced answers). Of these caregiver questions, 2 were pushed to crowdsource workers through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. We descriptively compared characteristics of these crowdsourced answers with the friendsourced answers.

Results

In total, 6 AD caregivers completed the initial online survey and semistructured telephone interview. Of these, 4 AD caregivers agreed to participate in the online Facebook closed group activity portion of the study. Friendsourcing and crowdsourcing answers to caregiver questions had similar rates of acceptability as rated by content experts: 90% (27/30) and 100% (45/45), respectively. Rates of emotional support and informational support for both groups of answers appeared to trend with the type of support emphasized in the caregiver question (emotional vs informational support question). Friendsourced answers included more shared experiences (20/30, 67%) than did crowdsourced answers (4/45, 9%).

Conclusions

We found an asynchronous, online, closed group on Facebook to be generally acceptable as a means to deliver support to caregivers of people with AD. This pilot is too small to make judgments on effectiveness; however, results trended toward an improvement in caregivers’ self-efficacy, sense of support, and perceived stress, but these results were not statistically significant. Both friendsourced and crowdsourced answers may be an acceptable way to provide informational and emotional support to caregivers of people with AD.

Identifying and Exploring the Informational and Emotional Support Needs of Primipara Women: A Focus on Supportive Communication

Primipara women may require greater informational and emotional support than multipara women. Supportive communication, including informational and emotional support, can help to build a strong caregiver-patient relationship and can alleviate the difficulties associated with first-time birth. The objective of this study was to explore first-time mothers' experiences of labor and birth. Three hundred primipara women completed self-report questionnaires. Qualitative analysis of one open-ended question about the women's experience was conducted. Nine themes emerged from the data. Eight themes reflected informational and emotional support needs, whereas the final theme reflected instrumental support needs. The study concluded that informational and emotional supports are important factors of supportive communication and influence the birthing experience of primipara women.

Informational and emotional elements in online support groups: a Bayesian approach to large-scale content analysis

OBJECTIVE

This research examines the extent to which informational and emotional elements are employed in online support forums for 14 purposively sampled chronic medical conditions and the factors that influence whether posts are of a more informational or emotional nature.

METHODS

Large-scale qualitative data were obtained from Dailystrength.org. Based on a hand-coded training dataset, all posts were classified into informational or emotional using a Bayesian classification algorithm to generalize the findings. Posts that could not be classified with a probability of at least 75% were excluded.

RESULTS

The overall tendency toward emotional posts differs by condition: mental health (depression, schizophrenia) and Alzheimer's disease consist of more emotional posts, while informational posts relate more to nonterminal physical conditions (irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, asthma). There is no gender difference across conditions, although prostate cancer forums are oriented toward informational support, whereas breast cancer forums rather feature emotional support. Across diseases, the best predictors for emotional content are lower age and a higher number of overall posts by the support group member.

DISCUSSION

The results are in line with previous empirical research and unify empirical findings from single/2-condition research. Limitations include the analytical restriction to predefined categories (informational, emotional) through the chosen machine-learning approach.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide an empirical foundation for building theory on informational versus emotional support across conditions, give insights for practitioners to better understand the role of online support groups for different patients, and show the usefulness of machine-learning approaches to analyze large-scale qualitative health data from online settings.