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The DHC Observer
Studying digital health communities
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Our Mission: Explore the Effects of Digital Communities on Health
Our Mission: Explore the Effects of Digital Communities on Health
Social media gets lots of bad press. But many people derive immense benefit from digital health communities.
hank copeland
Mar 21, 2021
First Mover: Facebook Group Provides a Unique Rallying Point for Patients Coping with a Rare…
Natalie Wong
Autism Inclusivity: Acceptance and No “Cure Talk”
Lewis Eatherton
Small but Mighty: How Parents of Premature and NICU Babies Find Strength in Facebook groups
Julia Gianneschi
Posting from the Potty: How a Facebook Group Provides Public Support During Private Moments
Aditya Kotla
Connected and Caring: Facebook Group Gives Hope to Brain Injury Patients and Caregivers
Yihan Shi
Building a Home: Nephrology Twitter Community Creates Disciplined Spaces for Discourse
Building a Home: Nephrology Twitter Community Creates Disciplined Spaces for Discourse
Through well-planned initiatives, nephrologists used Twitter to turn the sprawling landscape of social media into a home for productive…
Rhea Niyyar
Jun 2, 2022
Insiders Reach Out: Insurance Pros Use a Subreddit to Give Back
Insiders Reach Out: Insurance Pros Use a Subreddit to Give Back
Moderators use their experience in the health insurance industry to help confused insurance customers.
Rhea Niyyar
Jun 1, 2022
Straddling the line: Facebook Group Balances Natural Healing and Medication
Straddling the line: Facebook Group Balances Natural Healing and Medication
Group tries to thread the needle between antagonistic approaches to an individualistic disease.
Rhea Niyyar
Dec 20, 2021
The New Normal: Immunocompromised Families Navigate Ever-changing Landscape of COVID-19
The New Normal: Immunocompromised Families Navigate Ever-changing Landscape of COVID-19
Facebook group provides comfort to immunocompromised families in an unsympathetic “Covid normal” world.
Rhea Niyyar
Dec 20, 2021
Dating After Diagnosis: Cancer Support Group Fosters Romance, Even Marriage
Dating After Diagnosis: Cancer Support Group Fosters Romance, Even Marriage
Cancer dating Facebook Group successfully connects those with experiences that non-survivors can’t understand.
Rhea Niyyar
Dec 20, 2021
Ride share: COVID-19 Group Matched Frontline Workers with Unused RVs
Ride share: COVID-19 Group Matched Frontline Workers with Unused RVs
A Facebook group connected RV owners to healthcare workers needing to be isolated from high-risk loved ones.
Emily Maceda
Nov 19, 2021
Never Enough Cooks: Group’s Recipe Exchange Keeps Guts Happy
Never Enough Cooks: Group’s Recipe Exchange Keeps Guts Happy
Just one month after launch, Celiac Recipe Inspiration Location is growing quickly based on a simple formula: sharing food recipes and…
Emily Maceda
Apr 28, 2021
Less Is More: Facebook Group Diverts Prostate Cancer Patients from Potentially Harmful Treatments
Less Is More: Facebook Group Diverts Prostate Cancer Patients from Potentially Harmful Treatments
A Facebook group educates patients about a safer alternative to surgery and radiation.
Bryant Lewis
Apr 15, 2021
Keeping it Local: Facebook Group Focuses on Australians with Kawasaki Disease
Keeping it Local: Facebook Group Focuses on Australians with Kawasaki Disease
Since 2015, Australians have gathered on Facebook , sharing info about treatment options and government policies for this rare disease.
Audra Whithaus
Apr 15, 2021
Moving Mountains for Max: How a Facebook Group Helped a Mother Fund a $2.8 Million Drug for Her Son
Moving Mountains for Max: How a Facebook Group Helped a Mother Fund a $2.8 Million Drug for Her Son
Neighbors used auctions and bottle drives to help a mother raise money and influence government policy.
Alex Choi
Apr 14, 2021
Watching the Watchers: Facebook Group Tracks ALS Clinical Trials
Watching the Watchers: Facebook Group Tracks ALS Clinical Trials
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis leaves patients unable to walk, talk, or eat. One person’s diagnosis triggered this group’s launch in 2019.
Alex Choi
Apr 14, 2021
A Disease So Rare It Doesn’t Have a Name: How One Mother Raised Money with a Facebook Group
A Disease So Rare It Doesn’t Have a Name: How One Mother Raised Money with a Facebook Group
The neurological disorder resulting from an SLC6A1 mutation is so rare it doesn’t yet have a name.
Alex Choi
Apr 14, 2021
Breathing Easier: How Individuals with Asthma Find Family in Facebook Groups
Breathing Easier: How Individuals with Asthma Find Family in Facebook Groups
Members of the Facebook group Asthma Support and Inspiration feel a strong bond with each other because of the group’s light moderation.
Emily Maceda
Apr 5, 2021
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