Research indicates online communities may provide education, support to some patients with psoriasis.
(1/19, Neale) reported that, according to a study published in the Jan. issue of the
Archives of Dermatology
, "online communities" may provide patients with psoriasis "an important source of education and psychological and social support." For the study, researchers from the Center for Connected Health and Harvard University assessed "the usefulness of online support groups" by administering "a 29-item Web-based questionnaire to 260 patients who participated in one of five active online forums." The majority of the participants "(73.7 percent) reported having moderate-to-severe psoriasis." The investigators found that 86.5 percent of the participants "cited the Internet" as a source of "useful support." Among "key factors influencing the respondents' use of the online groups were availability of resources (95.3 percent), convenience (94 percent), access to good advice (91 percent), and the lack of embarrassment in dealing with personal issues (90.8 percent)." In addition, 73.9 percent cited "anonymity...as an important factor."
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