Panel discussion on patient blogs from research by Ressler, Gualtieri, Bradshaw, Chui. Moderator: Pamela Katz Ressler Panelists: Renee Berry, Maggie Chesnut, Matthew Katz, Jill Plevinsky, Robert West

1. Exploring Patient Blogs
A Panel Discussion on Communicating the
Experience of Chronic Pain and Illness
through Blogging
Moderator: Pamela Katz Ressler, MS, RN, HN-BC
Tufts University School of Medicine
Boston, MA
Sept15, 2012 Medicine 2.0
@pamressler
pamela.ressler@tufts.edu

2. Panelists
 Renee Berry @rfberry
 Maggie Chesnut @maggiechesnut
 Matthew Katz @subatomicdoc
 Jill Plevinsky @jillplev
 Robert West @westr

3. Formative Research Study
Communicating the Experience of
Chronic Pain
and Illness through Blogging
Co-authors: Ressler, Bradshaw, Gualtieri and Chui
Tufts University School of Medicine

4. “First I was helped,
now I am helping….
a reminder that I am part of the
world,”
~survey participant

5. Study Abstract
 Background: Formative research is lacking on the psychosocial
effects and motivating factors for initiating and maintaining a blog.
 Objective: To examine through an online questionnaire the
perceived psychosocial and health benefit of blogging among
patients who use this media to communicate their experience of
chronic pain or illness.
 Sample: N= 230 Female 81.8% with a wide spectrum of chronic
pain and illness diagnoses and co-morbidities represented.
 Theme Analysis: Open-ended questions explored respondents’
attitudes, motivations, and explanations; respondents had unlimited
space in which to answer. These narrative responses were
qualitatively analyzed and grouped into primary themes and
subthemes according to the major ideas and concerns expressed.

6. Results
 89.7% of the respondents have shared their blogs
with friends and family members, less than half
(42.1%) have shared their blogs with their health
care providers
 Most bloggers (60%) had initiated their blogs on
their own, and the majority (87.8%) of the blogs
were public and searchable on the Internet.
 6% of respondents stated their health care providers
had suggested they initiate a blog.

7. Results
 Respondents reported that initiating and
maintaining an illness blog resulted in:
◦ increased connection with others
◦ decreased isolation
◦ an opportunity to tell their illness story
◦ accountability (to self and others)
◦ opportunities for meaning making
◦ nurtured a sense of purpose, and
◦ furthered understanding of illness.

8. Conclusions
 Results suggest that chronic pain and illness
blogging may decrease a sense of isolation
through the establishment of online
connections with others and increases a sense
of purpose to help others in similar situations.
 Experiments involving larger sample
size, wider range of education level, and
respondents with different types and magnitude
of illnesses will be needed to better elucidate
the mechanism of the observed associations in
this understudied area.

9. Panel Discussion
 Comment on the study findings
 Explore blogging as peer to peer support
for those with chronic pain/illness
 Discuss the role of patient blogs in
patient-provider communication
 Envision future directions of patient
centered digital tools of connection and
communication

10. Questions and Comments?