The Internet has become a major
outlet for communicating intimate personal experiences regarding illness.
Communication includes not only patients dealing with their own challenges, but
also loved ones who want to share their involvement and feelings about their journey
with patients. Why are people compelled to inform others all over the world
about these terminal illness experiences? A research analysis with bloggers was done during and after illness of family members who died of
cancer. These are findings resulting from those telephone interviews:
1)
Blogging introduced relatives to new friends with similar experiences.
2)
Communicating through blogging helped relatives during their grief process.
3)
Recording their written stories through blogging helped relatives preserve
memories.
4)
Writing about illness experiences had negative aspects when bloggers were misunderstood,
publicly criticized, and when they felt that they were giving their reading
audiences “reality show" entertainment.
Generally, blogging was viewed as a complement to professional healthcare
and a way to prevent ill health.
Our Long Goodbye
is a blog recording a family’s experiences with Alzheimer’s disease. Blogger
Patti, who blogged for several months until her mother died, says her purpose for
starting the blog was “to chronicle my experiences with my 82-year-old
mother’s late-stage Alzheimer’s.” Although her mother is deceased, Patti's blog is still available for the world to read.
Health care blogs like mine and health care websites can be
persuasive. They are used by many to impact the thoughts and actions of others.
Is one more persuasive than the other? Here’s what the research says: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/health-blogs-vs-websites-frances-shani-parker?trk=mp-reader-card
Frances
Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer
in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book
editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
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