Diabetes self-management in online health communities: an information exchange perspective (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Min
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Online Health Communities ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Diabetes Patients

BACKGROUND Online health communities (OHCs), with a wealth of multi-source information exchange, have provided a convenient way for diabetes patients to actively involve in their self-management and been widely used. Information exchange assists patients with health-related decisions to actively engage in their care, and reduce the occurrence of potential complications of diabetes. However, there has been relatively little research on the information exchange behaviors and its effect on health on professional online medical platforms—OHCs. OBJECTIVE Using a social exchange theory, we focus on two sources of information (doctors and patients) to investigate information exchange behaviors and moderating effects of information price. METHODS The logistic and ordinal regression models are used to get our empirical results by collecting a rich dataset from the biggest OHC in China. RESULTS We found that first information sharing from doctors (β=0.014, p<0.001) and other patients (β=0.009, p<0.01) can promote the patient’s information sharing behavior. Second, the moderating effects of information price are heterogeneous and change with the exchange participants (β=-0.005, p<0.001; β=0.003, p<0.05). Third, rich information exchange supports patients’ self-management and improves their health status (β=0.009, p<0.001; β=0.018, p<0.003). CONCLUSIONS This study is among the first that tests the information exchange behavior and consequence for diabetes patients in OHCs and examines the moderating effects of information price. Our present study produces several insights, which have implications for social exchange, patient behavior, online health communities, and information technology in diabetes self-management literature. By understanding the online information exchange behaviors of doctor-patient and patient-patient, we are able to understand how to reach people to receive and deliver diabetes information through these professional OHCs.

scholarly journals Diabetes self-management in online health communities: an information exchange perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Min ◽  
Yan Chen ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Ting He ◽  
Sha Tang
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Source Information ◽  
Online Health Communities ◽  
Health Communities

Abstract Background Online health communities (OHCs), with a wealth of multi-source information exchange, have provided a convenient way for people with diabetes to actively participate in their self-management and have been widely used. Information exchange assists people with diabetes with health-related decisions to actively engage in their care, and reduce the occurrence of potential complications of diabetes. However, there has been relatively little research on the information exchange behaviors and their effect on health in professional online medical platforms—OHCs. Objective Using a social exchange theory, this study focuses on two sources of information (doctors and people with diabetes) to investigate information exchange behaviors and consequences. Moreover, we also examine moderating effects of information price as patients need to pay prices for consulting with doctors to obtain medical information on OHCs. Methods By using the Python program, a rich dataset contained 22,746 doctor-patient dialogues from December 2017 to December 2018 is collected from the biggest OHC in China. Then the logistic and ordinal regression models are used to get empirical results. Results We found that first information sharing from doctors and other people with diabetes can promote their information sharing behavior. Second, the moderating effects of information price are heterogeneous and change with the exchange participants. Third, rich information exchange supports self-management of people with diabetes and improves their health status. Conclusion This study is among the first that tests the information exchange behavior and consequence for diabetes in OHCs and examines the moderating effects of the information price. The present study produces several insights, which have implications for social exchange, patient behavior, online health communities, and information technology in diabetes self-management literature.

scholarly journals The Exchange of Informational Support in Online Health Communities at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Jong ◽  
Ou Stella Liang ◽  
Christopher C. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Informational Support ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Online Health Communities ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Types Of Information

BACKGROUND Online health communities (OHCs) provide social support for ongoing health related problems. COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been an acute and substantial stressor globally. The disease and its impact, especially in the beginning phases, left many with questions about its nature, treatment, and prevention. Unlike typical chronic ailments on OHCs, which are more established, COVID-19, at least at the onset of the pandemic, is distinct in that it lacks a consensus of clinical diagnosis and an existing community foundation. OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate a newly formed OHC for COVID-19 to determine the topics and types of information exchange as well as the sources of information this community referenced during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. METHODS A total of 357 posts from a COVID-19 OHC on the MedHelp platform were annotated following an open-coding process. Participants’ engagement patterns, topics of posts, and sources of information were quantified. RESULTS Participants who were in a position to offer informational support had a significantly higher percentage of responding more than once than those seeking information (P < 0.001). Among the information seeking topics, symptoms and public health practice and psychological impacts were the most frequently discussed with 26% (17/65) and 15% (10/65) of posts respectively. The majority of informational support was expressed through feedback/opinion at 82.3% (181/220). Additionally, the most referred source of information was news outlets/websites at 55% (11/20). CONCLUSIONS The trends of this community could be useful in prioritizing public health responses to address the most common questions sought by the general public during crisis communication and in identifying which venue of communication is most effective in reaching the public audience during these times.

scholarly journals Social exchange approach in knowledge sharing of online communities – A Case of online health communities at Ho Chi Minh City

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (Q4) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Phong Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Tuan Manh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Online Health Communities ◽  
Online Health Community ◽  
Writing Group ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Face Concern ◽  
Health Communities

The demand to look for information and share information in nowaday society are a huge needed, especially in the internet revolution are developing more and more. The studies proposed the model that includes the benefit factors (sense of self-worth, face concern, reputation and social support) and cost factors (executional costs, cognitive costs) with the points of view of Social Exchange Theory that influences to knowledge donating behavior, knowledge collecting behavior and community promotion among members. The studies will be verified in health care member of the online health communities in Ho Chi Minh City. Quantitative research also was conducted 336 samples were used to evaluate and test the research. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) show that the theoretical models are suited the market data and hypotheses of the research model are supported. In particular, factors of the benifit group (sense of self-worth, face concern, reputation and social support) have a positive impact on the knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior. In addition, factors of the cost group (executional costs, cognitive costs) have a negative impact the knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior. Knowledge donating behavior and knowledge collecting behavior have a positive impact on community promotion to the online health community. In addition, the results of multi-group analysis that there is no difference between knowledge sharing’s writing group and no knowledge sharing’s writing group. The results may be usefull for online health community, hospitals, doctors, individuals and businesses.

scholarly journals Talking to imagined citizens? Information sharing practices and proxies for e-participation in hyperlocal democratic settings

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Cruickshank ◽  
◽  
Hazel Hall ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Online Audiences ◽  
Concept Of Information

Introduction. Previous research in information science often uses constructs from social exchange theory to explain online information sharing. Exchange theories have a strong focus on reciprocity, yet in some communities, such as elected democratic representatives at hyperlocal level, it is observed that information is shared online for little visible return. This raises questions as to the extent to which existing models of online information sharing based on the tenets of exchange are applicable across a full range of contexts. In the case of hyperlocal representatives, this also prompts consideration of their motivations for online information sharing, and their response to apparent non-participation or lurking in this process on the part of citizens. In this paper an information sharing, practice-based approach is deployed to explore the means by which hyperlocal representatives in Scotland handle their information sharing role and address their relationship with their online lurker audiences. Method. Hour long interviews were conducted in November and December 2016 with nineteen representatives who serve on Scottish community councils. Analysis. Qualitative analysis of the interview data generated the results of the study. Results. Information sharing is regarded as an important duty of community councillors. It is largely practised as transmission or broadcast (rather than exchange) using a variety of channels, both online and face-to-face. Such efforts are, however, limited. This is due to restricted resources, a lack of familiarity with the information users (and non-users) that community councillors serve, and poor knowledge of tools for analysing online audiences. Attitudes towards online communities that largely comprise lurker audiences vary from frustration to resignation. Conclusions. While some of the findings articulate with extant knowledge and extend it further, others contradict the results of prior research, for example on online platforms as deliberative spaces. The practice-based approach as deployed in the study surfaces new contributions on proxies in information sharing. Amongst these, it adds to prior work on information seeking by proxy, and introduces the concept of information sharing by proxy.

scholarly journals Study on the Evolution of Information Sharing Strategy for Users of Medical Cloud

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panpan Zhu ◽  
Jiang Shen ◽  
Man Xu
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Scale Free ◽  
Online Health Communities ◽  
Online Health Community ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Community Information ◽  
Free Network ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Sharing Behavior ◽  
Community Patients

Abstract Technological advances are driving the growth of online health communities. However, there are some problems such as low user participation and insignificant social benefits in online health communities. This paper discusses the evolution law of information sharing behavior of members of online health community to study the influence of different behaviors on health information sharing results and explore the ways to improve the level of community information sharing. Based on BA scale-free network (Albert-László Barabás and Réka Albert scale-free network) , this paper established an information sharing behavior model for members of online health community with the evolutionary game theory method, and discussed the influence of different game parameters and initial conditions on the evolution results of information sharing behavior of community patients with the method of numerical experiment.Results: It is found that the key to improve the level of community information sharing is to improve the benefit of patients' information sharing, the proportion of patients sharing information at the initial moment, the degree of network nodes, and reduce the sharing cost. Community managers should improve the information conversion ability and information absorption ability of community patients through offline activities, professional guidance and other forms. At the same time, it can reduce the difficulty and risk of information sharing and strengthen the connection among members, thus comprehensively enhancing the value of the community.

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