The advent of online pharmacies and health related information and purchasing online puts individuals in the position of a customer in the market place, able to make choices among the products marketed to them by commercial firms, rather than a patient subject to the authoritative guidance of professionals. The exercise of consumer choice and the need for the purchaser to take more responsibility to verify that the medicines available are what they claim to be is highly significant. In some cases consumers are making decisions without consulting health professionals. There is conflict between the value of individuals being able to pursue their own interests and the values of efforts by the state to reduce harm, use public resources fairly and efficiently, and social solidarity.

In providing a new opportunity to purchase medicine the Web appears to remove or bypass some of the threats and sanctions normally associated with illegal drug purchasing, though the reality is that the risks have not been reduced but are simply more clandestine. The study of the Web is necessarily multidisciplinary – we need to understand the technology and the way people and society use and shape it. Web science and innovative methodological approaches can assist our understanding of these emerging digital behaviours.

The post A Web Science Approach to Online Health Behaviours appeared first on Web Science MOOC.

Over the last decade the increased availability of health-related information has contributed to health matters being a normal part of cultural life. Medical information has been ‘democratised’ leading Flowers (2004) to suggest that patient-support groups and consumerism compliment a ‘culture of consumption.’ Virtual communities are recognised as playing a significant role in the management of health conditions, and for providing a mechanism for both the sharing of information and provision of emotional and psychological support from peers.

The Web is more than just an information resource, the vast numbers of online communities example the important part played by community life and cultural experiences. Communities are developed through forums, MUDS etc. and the trust between members may be put down to shared experiences and interests etc. Engagement with online health communities enables support and allows individuals to manage their health choices, effectively becoming the ‘expert patient’. Such environments can provide valuable emotional and motivational support networks. There are a range of online patient support groups which use health technologies for both intended and unintended objectives. However, in some cases an anti-medical stance can be assumed, with groups actively seeking to reject established approaches to specific conditions. This can be observed in the pro-ana communities – for example online anorexia discussion groups, where members seek to manage and maintain their illness rather than cure it. This is directly in opposition to the professional medical stance. This is an example of how health related technologies are being utilised away from their intended and normative purpose, via the influence and varied perspectives of support networks in online communities.

The post Health Matters: Support Networks in Online Communities appeared first on Web Science MOOC.