Author:

• Larissa Siqueira Fernandes - Fernandes, LS - <lari.fernandes@gmail.com>

Co-author(s):

• Camila Calado - Calado, C - <camilacalado.ufrj@gmail.com>
• Claudia Affonso Silva Araujo - Araujo, CFS - <claraujo@coppead.ufrj.br>

Abstract:

This study aims to understand how online communities can contribute to increase the adherence of chronic patients to the treatment prescribed by the physician in Brazil. For this purpose, we applied the netnography method to analyse the community Diabetes: vivendo e aprendendo – troca de informações, considering as a theoretical framework the dimensions of adherence proposed by the World Health Organization – WHO. The analysis highlights the impacts of cyberculture on health and disease processes, resulting into changes in physician-patient relationships, patient empowerment, and individual management at his/her chronic condition. The results also showed a positive influence of the interactions established in the community on the multidimensional factors of the adherence model proposed by the WHO, as well as leading to the possibility of including a sixth dimension related to connectivity. The main motivations identified for the community participation were the access to information on the disease and treatment, the sharing of experiences and the social support. Therefore, the proposition of health policies that help chronic patients in meeting these needs tends to contribute for increasing the adherence to treatment.

Keywords:

online community; adherence to treatment; chronic disease; diabetes; health governance.

Content:

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