Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Patient Education and Counseling. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Patient Education and Counseling, 93, 3, 2013 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2013.01.009
Accepted author manuscript, 544 KB, PDF document
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - How do people with asthma use Internet sites containing patient experiences?
AU - Sillence, Elizabeth
AU - Hardy, Claire
AU - Briggs, Pam
AU - Harris, Peter R.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - ObjectiveTo understand how people engage with websites containing patient authored accounts of health and illness. To examine how people with asthma navigate their way through this information and make use of the patient experiences they find.MethodsTwenty-nine patients with diagnoses ranging from mild to severe asthma were shown a range of websites, some containing patient experiences, and selected two sites to explore further. They discussed their choices in a series of focus groups and interviews.ResultsParticipants were influenced initially by the design quality of the sites and were subsequently drawn to websites containing patient experiences but only when contributions were from similar people offering ‘relevant stories’. The experiences reminded participants of the serious nature of the disease, provided new insights into the condition and an opportunity to reflect upon the role of the disease in their lives.ConclusionFor people with asthma websites containing other patients’ personal experiences can serve as a useful information resource, refresh their knowledge and ensure their health behaviours are appropriate and up-to-date.Practice implicationsHealth professionals should consider referring asthma patients to appropriate websites whilst being aware that online experiences are most engaging when they resonate with the participants own situation.
AB - ObjectiveTo understand how people engage with websites containing patient authored accounts of health and illness. To examine how people with asthma navigate their way through this information and make use of the patient experiences they find.MethodsTwenty-nine patients with diagnoses ranging from mild to severe asthma were shown a range of websites, some containing patient experiences, and selected two sites to explore further. They discussed their choices in a series of focus groups and interviews.ResultsParticipants were influenced initially by the design quality of the sites and were subsequently drawn to websites containing patient experiences but only when contributions were from similar people offering ‘relevant stories’. The experiences reminded participants of the serious nature of the disease, provided new insights into the condition and an opportunity to reflect upon the role of the disease in their lives.ConclusionFor people with asthma websites containing other patients’ personal experiences can serve as a useful information resource, refresh their knowledge and ensure their health behaviours are appropriate and up-to-date.Practice implicationsHealth professionals should consider referring asthma patients to appropriate websites whilst being aware that online experiences are most engaging when they resonate with the participants own situation.
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2013.01.009
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2013.01.009
M3 - Journal article
VL - 93
SP - 439
EP - 443
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
SN - 0738-3991
IS - 3
ER -