From Help-Seekers to Influential Users: A Systematic Review of Participation Styles in Online Health Communities.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding how people participate in and contribute to online health communities (OHCs) is useful knowledge in multiple domains. It is helpful for community managers in developing strategies for building community, for organizations in disseminating information about health interventions, and for researchers in understanding the social dynamics of peer support.

Objective

We sought to determine if any patterns were apparent in the nature of user participation across online health communities.

Methods

The current study involved a systematic review of all studies that have investigated the nature of participation in an online health community and have provided a quantifiable method for categorizing a person based on their participation style. A systematic s

SUBMITTER: Carron-Arthur B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4704975 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature