Studies in health technology and informatics · 2009 · 12 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesCommunicationOncologyCancer Survivorship CareHealth CommunicationTherapeutic CommunicationOnline CommunitiesPeer SupportSocial SupportSupportive Care In CancerSupportive CommunicationVirtual CommunitiesCancer Support CommunitiesOnline Emotional SupportOnline Health CommunicationOnline Support CommunitiesOnline Support SeekingPeer Support CommunicationSelf-report QuestionnairesSupportive Cancer Care
This study describes the current status of peer support through an online community among patients with breast cancer, and examines how the support differs through the patients' usage of the community. Self-reported questionnaires distributed to 465 patients through Internet were analyzed. Analysis indicated the peer support among patients was categorized according to the following 5 factors: "emotional support, helper-therapy," "emotional expression," "conflict," "advice," and "insight, universality." Even the patients who only read the postings of other patients received benefits from the community.