What is the Profile of Individuals Joining the KNEEguru Online Health Community? A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study

• Published in: Journal of medical Internet research Vol. 18; no. 4; p. e84
• Main Authors: Bright, Philip, Hambly, Karen, Tamakloe, Sandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Journal of Medical Internet Research 01.04.2016; Gunther Eysenbach MD MPH, Associate Professor; JMIR Publications Inc
• Subjects: Access; Adult; Altruism; Analysis; Community; Conceptual models; Consumers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Desire; Emotional responses; Emotional support; Emotions; Empowerment; Ethnicity; Female; Frustration; Health Behavior; Health information; Health Status; Higher education; Humans; Information Seeking Behavior; Internet; Male; Medical prognosis; Methods; Mixed methods research; Motivation; Multimedia; Online health care information services; Original Paper; Pain; Perceptions; Psychological distress; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Respondents; Response rates; Self Concept; Social networks; Social support; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic Factors; Software; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uncertainty; User behavior; Validity; Websites; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Internet; Knee-pain; Information seeking behaviour; Nonverbal communication

The use of the Internet for seekers of health-related information provides convenience and accessibility to diverse sources (of variable quality) for many medical conditions. There is a suggestion that patients may find empowerment by engaging with Internet health care strategies and communities. Th...