Accuracy and self correction of information received from an internet breast cancer list: content analysis

Abstract

different proportions of high risk pregnancies and parity, but using standard populations of primiparous women at low risk identified by the criteria described here could enable valid international comparisons of spontaneous preterm delivery rates to be made.Contributors: JL-R conceived the study in collaboration with UK. SR retrieved register data and performed the initial analyses. UK performed additional statistical analyses. All authors contributed to the data interpretation. JL-R wrote the first draft of the manuscript and all authors contributed to the revision. AbstractObjectives To determine the prevalence of false or misleading statements in messages posted by internet cancer support groups and whether these statements were identified as false or misleading and corrected by other participants in subsequent postings.

Factors that influence public engagement with eHealth: A literature review

“…A sense of shared responsibility and community was evident in the study by Esquivel et al [40] into the self-policing of a breast cancer mailing list. This ethos was also evident in…”

Are online support groups always beneficial? A qualitative exploration of the empowering and disempowering processes of participation within HIV/AIDS-related online support groups

“…Indeed, previous studies which have assessed the quality of information found within online groups reported only a small proportion of information was indeed inaccurate or non-scientific (Esquivel, Meric-Bernstam, & Bernstam, 2006;Hoch, et al, 1999). However, concerns regarding information were not limited to the accuracy of it but also the volume of it.…”

The use of an online support group for neuromuscular disorders: a thematic analysis of message postings

“…(19) In terms of media coverage of these welfare cuts, one member felt that tabloid media were portraying disabled people as "lazy scroungers sponging off the state" (4) If anyone has any ideas about how people with indefinite awards will be affected I'm sure we'd all like to know. (37) In terms of welfare reforms, members also expressed anxiety that disabled people would be targeted unfairly or disproportionately by any benefit cuts, feeling that they may become soft targets for money savings and that benefit cuts could impact on their quality of life:…”

“…Potential disadvantages of online support groups include: 'flaming' or verbal harassment [32]; reading about other members' illness progression [33]; dealing with support group activity that is too high [27] or too low [34]; and variable quality of medical information [35]. However, analyses of online support group postings have revealed that the majority of messages are not erroneous or harmful [36,37] and analysis of message posts have been used to demonstrate the social support [34,38] and self-help [39,40] therapeutic functions of such groups.…”