Online support communities offer patients, people, caregivers, family members, and even professionals the opportunity to engage with one another in an environment designed to encourage discussion. Not only do people engage in emotional support and discussions, but they also exchange valuable information about their own research, experiences, and techniques that work for them.
Support communities are so much more than a simple social group with a shared purpose. They serve as a lifeline to a person in crisis or need, and the newly-diagnosed who is scared their life may never be the same.
So how do you authentically engage in such communities?