“On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” was the caption of the famous cartoon by Peter Steiner in the July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker. The same is true of patient stories on health Web sites: nobody knows who really wrote them. In the case of Lifestyle Lift, the company agreed to pay a $300,000 settlement last year to New York State because their patient stories were employee-generated.
Patient stories can provide information, support, reassurance, and practical advice, which is why 41% of e-patients read the commentaries and experiences of others online. The three primary types of patient stories are the unedited user-generated stories in online health communities and patient blogs; professionally edited or “as told to” support stories; and promotional stories.”
Article
Lisa Gualtieri, e-patients.net, 15 March 2010
