The Internet has opened up a whole new world for healthcare consumers. An enormous information imbalance has gradually decreased, giving patients opportunities to cross-check physician recommendations and ask better questions. Perhaps even more importantly, the Internet has provided new venues for support groups and healthcare consumers to join in on the conversation and share their experiences.
Support groups are not a new phenomenon. The power of self-help groups was first demonstrated by alcoholics. Alcoholics Anonymous (founded in 1935) helped many of those considered hopeless, something that the medical establishment was not able to do.
Computer-mediated communication has added more power to emerging Health 2.0 due in large part to the fact that anonymity can enable discussion of very sensitive issues, and that remote communication helps people separated by great distances get together. Moreover, networking formats have supported information exchange in real time in addition to e-mail, and search engines have helped people identify relevant groups.
What's next? Better personal health records, better search engines, and tools to interpret the wealth of information generated by dynamically-evolving networks that can mirror the subtle details of daily life.
Meanwhile, despite what some people think, blogging is alive and well; there were 10 blog posts by IBS sufferers in the last 7 days!
Of course, willingness to converse depends on the nature of the conversation. Not too many people want to discuss their Irritable Bowel Syndrome on twitter or facebook, but there are constant streams of related posts and constant conversation.
Recently updated blogs:
Blog title | Author | Last post in March 2011 | Last update |
An Tobarin wordpress blog | Irritable bowel syndrome | March 30, 2011 | |
Irritable Bowel Syndrome @about.com | FOODMAP diet chart | March 29, 2011 | |
Gena's Blog (IBS group blogs) | I Want Pizaaaa | March 29, 2011 | |
Ruled by the bowel? | March 28, 2011 | ||
ChrissyLynn's Blog (IBS group blogs) | Not a happy camper | March 28, 2011 | |
Shauni.x's Blog (IBS group blogs) | 18 and starting to cope | March 27, 2011 | |
tjesspersen's Blog (IBS group blogs) | I hate IBS! | March 27, 2011 | |
SickPetals' Blog (IBS group blogs) | I'd welcome cabin fever | March 27, 2011 | |
Em's Blog (IBS group blogs) | FFS! | March 25, 2011 | |
Food tips to keep your belly stable | March 25, 2011 | ||
cherice's Blog (IBS group blogs) | Never satisfied | March 23, 2011 | |
J_17's Blog (IBS group blogs) | P.S. | March 22, 2011 | |
IBS (Blisstree.com) | IBS is Why I'm Still Single | March 13, 2010 | |
Emz's Blog (IBS group blogs) | First post because I'm pleased with myself | March 13, 2010 | |
cleung's Blog (IBS group blogs) | Another episode - mild | March 12, 2010 | |
Sophie's Story | March 12, 2011 | ||
carolann's Blog (IBS group blog) | Fruit | March 9, 2011 | |
Crispypip's Blog ( IBS group blog) | Keeping a journal | March 8 ,2011 | |
The foe that controls my life - IBS (IBS group blog) | Tests, after all this time.... | March 1, 2011 |
Bloggers from other sites occasionally mention IBS:
See, for example,
Deb Schulze's post of 03/30/2011 on How to make fiber work for you (Baltimore Sun),
Susan Dopart's post of 03/23/2011 on gluten free diet (Huffpost),
Siouxsie Wiles' blog on integration of medical and natural health care (Sci blogs)
Some Internet marketers copy IBS-related information in their blogs too - like Wielislaw who recently re-posted Are your bowels irritable? in his 07s65 blog.
A few worth-mentioning old blogs:
Blog title | Author | Latest post | Last update |
Misery Loves Company (Everydayhealth blogs) | November 12, 2010 | ||
October 28, 2010 | |||
IBS (Everydayhealth blogs) | My favorite restaurant | May 17, 2010 | |
Foods that relieve constipation | March 12, 2010 | ||
I discovered Annato caused my IBS problems | November 19, 2009 | ||
Family Health (Everydayhealth blogs) | August 9, 2009 | ||
August 3, 2009 | |||
“Award-Winning” IBS Memoir | May 28th, 2008 | ||
It's back! | February 14th, 2008 |
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome Group on facebook
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome as Interest on facebook
| Twitter Lists | Description |
|---|---|
| @COEMHealth/irritable-bowel-syndrome | |
| @boweltalk/ibs | People with or supporting those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) |
| @ericbenchimol/gastro-nutrition | |
| @SharedDiaries/digestive-health | Irritable Bowel Syndrome, related conditions, causes and management |
| @PSCSupportUK/gastro | |
| @DrCesarYaghi/gastroenterology | |
| @boweltalk/gastro | Medical info re: bowel, colon, digestive, gut and gastrointestinal (GI) topics |
| @IBSgroup/ibs | |
| @IBSgroup/support |