ArticleJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2017
Navigating cancer using online communities: a grounded theory of survivor and family experiences.
Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Patient and families' perspectives on telepalliative care: A systematic integrative review.Palliative medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Online Communities as a Driver for Patient Empowerment: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Beyond one-size-fits-all: mapping information-seeking and decision-making pathways in cancer care.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Association Between Post-Traumatic Growth and Stigma Among Post-Thyroidectomy Patients: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study.Psychiatry investigation · 2026Article
- Pathways and Roadblocks in Navigating Online Cancer Communities: Qualitative Study Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors.JMIR cancer · 2026Article
- "We are champions": an investigation on how cancer support group propels patient advocacy, voices, education, mentorship, and support.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- A Grounded Theory of the Lived Experiences of People with Pancreatic Cancer in Northern Ireland: Study Protocol.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Self-help management of patients undergoing chemotherapy: analysis of the online forum of the women's self-help association against cancer.Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) · 2023Article
- Health Information and Misinformation: A Framework to Guide Research and Practice.JMIR medical education · 2023Article
- Advertising Alternative Cancer Treatments and Approaches on Meta Social Media Platforms: Content Analysis.JMIR infodemiology · 2023Article
- Perspectives of People With Cancer or Hereditary Cancer Risk on the Use and Value of Online Peer Support.Journal of patient-centered research and reviews · 2023Article
- Knowledge Acquisition and Social Support in Online Health Communities: Analysis of an Online Ovarian Cancer Community.JMIR cancer · 2022Article
- The experiences of family members of deceased organ donors and suggestions to improve the donation process: a qualitative study.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2022Article
- Transitional self-disappear: the journey of cancer survivors to self re-coherence in a Middle East society.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Article
- External support factors utilized by patients in coping with cancer: a European perspective.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Article
- Web-Based Peer Support Interventions for Adults Living With Chronic Conditions: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2021Article
- How patients experience endocrine therapy for breast cancer: an online survey of side effects, adherence, and medical team support.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2021Article
- Voice Analysis of Cancer Experiences Among Patients With Breast Cancer: VOICE-BC.Journal of patient experience · 2021Article
- Humanistic burden of living with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small-cell lung cancer: findings from the ALKConnect patient insight network and research platform.Lung cancer management · 2020Article
- Risk reduction and harm prevention in technology use. •.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposePeople affected by cancer often have unmet emotional and social support needs. Online cancer communities are a convenient channel for connecting cancer survivors, allowing them to support one another. However, it is unclear whether online community use makes a meaningful contribution to cancer survivorship, as little previous research has examined the experience of using contemporary cancer communities. We aimed to explore the experiences of visitors to online cancer communities.
methodsTwenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with online cancer community visitors, including cancer survivors (n = 18), family members (n = 2), and individuals who were both a survivor and family member (n = 3). Interviews were analysed using a grounded theory approach.
resultsA theory developed explaining how individuals 'navigated' the experience of cancer using online cancer communities. Online advice and information led participants on a 'journey to become informed'. Online friendships normalised survivorship and cast participants on a 'journey to recreate identity'. Participants navigated a 'journey through different worlds' as they discovered relevant and hidden communities.
conclusionsThis theory highlights virtual paths people affected by cancer can take to self-manage their experience of the disease. Online community experiences can be improved by promoting online evaluation skills and signposting visitors to bereavement support. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors can benefit through both lurking and posting in online communities. However, individuals risk becoming distressed when they befriend individuals who may soon die. Additionally, people affected by rarer cancers can struggle to find shared experiences online and may need to look elsewhere for support.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.