Social support models and engagement patterns of Online Health Communities

Abstract

Background: Coping with a health condition is an ongoing process that demands continuous self-care and social support. People increasingly engage in online health communities (OHCs) to share their health experiences (Sanger et al., 2023; Wang, Zhao, and Street, 2017). Research has kept pace with an accumulation of OHC studies (see figure 1). Although, a clear and systematic understanding on the social support involved is lacking. This study examines OHCs through a systematic scoping review in the field of design and health informatics. By analysing and charting existing research over the course of fifteen years, we were able to identify community engagement patterns and social support models. Hence, this paper contributes with principal knowledge on the design of social structures of OHCs and discusses novel implications for understanding social support in OHCs. […]