ABSTRACT
The Internet has become a popular medium for people seeking online health information and social/emotional support (Rice & Katz, 2001). Several different patient populations have found benefits from Internet-based resources. Those groups include persons with chronic debilitating illness (Dickerson, Flaig, & Kennedy, 2000; Johnson, Ravert, & Everton, 2001), dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (Brennan, Moore, & Smyth, 1992; Smyth & Harris, 1993), eating disorders (Winzelberg, 1997), cancer (Chen & Siu, 2001; Wienberg, Schmale, Ulken, & Wessel, 1995, 1996), cardiothoracic disease (Murero, D’ Ancona, & Karamanoukian, 2001) and postsurgical rehabilitation (Brennan, Moore, Bjornsdottir, Jones, Visovsky, et al., 2001). In addition, health care organizations have increasingly utilized Internet services for self-help and mutual aid groups for individuals with disabilities (Finn, 1999; Ritchie & Blank, 2003).
