Ellen Brady|Julia Segar|Caroline Sanders
“You get to know the people and whether they’re talking sense or not”: Negotiating trust on health-related forums
University of Manchester|University of Manchester|University of Manchester
internet increasingly used source health advice information individuals long term conditions ltcs specifically online forums allow people interact others similar conditions however clear online health information assessed ltcs study aims address gap exploring individuals contested uncontested ltcs utilise internet forums semistructured interviews conducted 20 participants mecfs 21 participants type 1 2 diabetes analysed using thematic analysis participants recruited via online offline routes namely forums email lists newsletters facetoface support groups findings indicate use online forums complex nuanced process influenced number individual illnessspecific factors participants trusted similar experiences perspectives also valuing conventional biomedical information advice accessing support online forum users able draw personalised form support based lived experiences peers however role digital literacy developing maintaining online relationships must acknowledged