University of Sussex
Browse
Ms733-R2 Health Communities as Permissible Space_Keeling DI LUPIN version.pdf (799.03 kB)

Health communities as permissible space: supporting negotiation to balance asymmetries

Download (799.03 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 06:46 authored by Debbie KeelingDebbie Keeling, Angus Laing, Terry Newholm
Online communities provide promising opportunities to support patient-professional negotiations that address the asymmetries characterizing health services. This study addresses the lack of in-depth understanding of these negotiations, what constitutes successful negotiation outcomes, and the potential impact of negotiation on offline health behaviors. Adopting a netnographic approach, two threads were observed from each of four online health communities focusing on breast cancer, prostate cancer, depression, and diabetes, respectively. This analysis was supplemented with 45 in-depth interviews. The evidence suggests that online health communities can be constructed as permissible spaces. Such virtual spaces facilitate the type of patient-professional negotiations that can redress asymmetries. The critical elements of the negotiation process are identified as occupation, validation, advocacy, and recording. These support patients and professionals as they debate and resolve conflicts in how they experience health. Direct tangible offline negotiation outcomes are reported (e.g., changes in treatment plans). Implications for professional-patient partnerships are also explored.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Psychology and Marketing

ISSN

0742-6046

Publisher

Wiley

Issue

3

Volume

32

Page range

303-318

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-06-19

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-06-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-06-16

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC