Online health communities

Abstract

Online health communities provide a means for patients and their families to learn about an illness, seek and offer support, and connect with others in similar circumstances. Online health communities raise difficult design challenges because of the wide variability of members. medical expertise, health literacy, and technology literacy, and the potential severity of problems due to misinformation. The importance of online health communities is evidenced by their popularity, as well as the significant impact they have on the lives of their members. This Special Interest Group (SIG) will explore current trends in online health communities and how the design and evaluation expertise of the CHI community can benefit and improve online health community research and development.