Online Peer-to-Peer Communities in the Daily Lives of People With Chronic Illness

Ph.D. Natasja Kingod, Professor MSO Ayo Wahlberg and collegues wrote a qualitative systematic review on individuals with chronic illness experience online peer-to-peer support and how their experiences influence daily life with illness to the journal Qualitative Health Research.

The review shows that findings indicate that online peer-to-peer communities provide a supportive space for daily self-care related to chronic illness. Online communities provided a valued space to strengthen social ties and exchange knowledge that supported offline ties and patient–doctor relationships. Online peer-to-peer communities for people with chronic illnesses have generated a public space in which issues and concerns relevant to their daily lives can be articulated and exchanged. This type of knowledge was perceived as extending far beyond medical care. Online communities were also used to mobilize and raise collective awareness about illness-specific concerns. Next step is to ensure a better understanding of boundaries of online and offline social dimensions and the relevance and influence of peer-to-peer online communities in the daily self-care “homework” of people with chronic illnesses, for that purpose further studies are needed.