Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The Web empowers a diverse population of users and this is reflected in both the demography and interests of today’s on-line communities. Many of these communities provide an essential social function by enabling people with medical or personal problems to discuss their concerns with others. Physicians can provide the facts, but other patients can tell you what it really feels like and what to expect next, in a way that only someone with personal experience can. A study of the messages from an on-line medical support group shows that empathy is an essential ingredient in participants’ discussions. Better tools are needed to empower patients to help themselves by finding information and contacting other patients in bulletin board communities. Suggestions about the nature of these tools are discussed. In particular, supporting a balance between empathic and factual communication is stressed.
Building similarity graph...
Analyzing shared references across papers
Loading...
Jenny Preece
Interacting with Computers
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Building similarity graph...
Analyzing shared references across papers
Loading...
Jenny Preece (Wed,) studied this question.
www.synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1218361d9aa3bb4e3422cf — DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0953-5438(98)00056-3
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: