Different Length, Different Needs: Qualitative Analysis of Threads in Online Health Communities

Item Type Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Abstract Online health communities provide a knowledge exchange platform for a wide range of diseases and health conditions. Informational and emotional support helps forum participants orient around health issues beyond in-person doctor visits. So far, little is known about the relation between the level of participation and participants’ contributions to online health communities. To gain insights on the issue, we analyzed 456 posts in 56 threads from the Dermatology sub-forum of an online health community. While low participation threads (’short threads’) revolved around solving an individual’s health issue through diagnosis suggestions and medical advice, participants in high participation threads (’long threads’) built collective knowledge and a sense of community, typically dis- cussing chronic and rare conditions that medical professionals were unfamiliar with or could not treat effectively. Our results suggest that in short threads an individual’s health issue is addressed, while in long threads, sub-communities about specific rare and chronic diseases emerge. This has implications for the user interface de- sign of health forums, which could be developed to better support community-building elements, even in short threads.
Authors Diethei, Daniel; Colley, Ashley; Wienert, Julian & Schöning, Johannes
Language English
Subjects computer science
health sciences
HSG Classification contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area None
Date 2022
Publisher IEEE
Title of Book Proceedings of the International Conference on Healthcare Informatics
Event Title IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics
Depositing User Prof. Dr. Johannes Schöning
Date Deposited 31 Aug 2022 10:30
Last Modified 31 Aug 2022 10:30
URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/publications/267092

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Diethei, Daniel; Colley, Ashley; Wienert, Julian & Schöning, Johannes: Different Length, Different Needs: Qualitative Analysis of Threads in Online Health Communities. 2022. - IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics.

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https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/id/eprint/267092
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