Hey folks.
This was posted on the InfoLink a few days ago but I loved it. Having received most of my support from online websites I fully get the study. In fact I think I have better data than the study does. But "Osei, et al" working with UsTOO International has determined with Level II data that online support groups work for prostate cancer. Here's the Abstract:
Research Summary
Introduction. Though early screening and treatment have improved prostate cancer-related mortality, this diagnosis and any subsequent treatment compromise quality of life.
Purpose. Providing online support for patients with prostate cancer maintains anonymity, is inexpensive, and can be accessed when convenient. Few studies have explored the effect an online support group intervention has on selfassessed quality of life.
Methods. Forty men between the ages of 53 to 87 years of age and diagnosed with prostate cancer in the previous five years were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group. The treatment group participated in online support group activities for six weeks through the Us TOO International Web site; participants in the control group were given prostate cancer resource kits. Baseline data were obtained and compared to responses obtained at six and eight weeks hence.
Results. From baseline to six weeks, the intervention group reported improvements in urinary irritation and obstruction health, sexual health, and hormonal health. These gains returned to baseline by eight weeks. Quality of life for participants in the control group decreased, as assessed by the six study measures from baseline to six weeks, but returned to their baseline score at eight weeks.
Conclusion. Online support was helpful in the short-term. Future research concentrating on the effectiveness of online support over longer periods in patients newly diagnosed with cancer is needed.
Level of Evidence – Level II. (Polit & Beck, 2012)
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Here is the total paper:
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/806876You may need a MedScape login but it's free and it's easy to get one.
I'll add a couple pointers from myself, I will be posing in a new blog soon for the CoH and will be mentioning these points:
1> Get educated. Online is an effective tool in PCa and it can help get answers 24x7x365
2> Listen objectively. Many folks whom post online are very determined to push what they did. And in fact it may have been effective for them but it may not be for you.
3> Ignore the stupid stuff. When you put people behind a keyboard they may get more honest than they would if they were standing in front of you. Er, but that does not mean more polite.
4> Always consult with your physician. Again some alternative choices may be effective at times, and some may be outright dangerous. An enthusiastic user of pepper pills may forget to mention the side effects that are possible, or not even know what they are.
5> Allow time to digest. Not your dinner, but your data. I have changed my points of view over time, but you have to remain
open in order to hear the thousands of points of views that might assist or deter you from putting into action what you read.
I guess in a nutshell, HealingWell is a success story for online support. This site was a Godsend for me in 2006 when I was diagnosed with advanced disease. I have had my trials and tribulations in doing online forums and HW was by far the most extensive I ever delved into online forums. I've made posing mistakes, and I've been ridiculed for things I've posted. But by far the good outweighs the bad...
Tony