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Quantification of Hypopigmentation Activity In Vitro
Published on: March 6, 2019
Views and Beliefs of Vitiligo Patients in Online Discussion Forums: A Qualitative Study
Mary Beth Gadarowski1, Arjun M Bashyam1, Amy J McMichael1
1Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Dr. Feldman also is from the Wake Forest School of Medicine Department of Pathology and Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy, and the Department of Dermatology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.
Abstract:
Individuals with chronic illnesses turn to online communities to engage in asynchronous peer-to-peer exchanges to better understand and manage their disease. Messages and advice exchanged by online users with vitiligo are not well characterized. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the content exchanged by individuals with vitiligo in online forums. An interpretive research paradigm was utilized to assess public online forum content. A systematic search using the phrases online forum vitiligo support, vitiligo online message board, and vitiligo forums identified 39 relevant forums; 9 of them met inclusion criteria, with 382 total anonymous users. Major themes and subthemes included vitiligo disease management, homeopathy/home remedies, psychosocial impact, public perceptions, and camouflage/concealment.
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