A Survey on the Role and Benefits of Online Social Networks on Filipino Patients With Psoriasis

November 1, 2011 updated by: Charlene U. Ang-Tiu, University of the Philippines
With the rise of usage of the internet, online social networks have recently been gaining popularity. Joining these groups can be beneficial to patients with chronic medical illness, such as psoriasis.This was a cross-sectional online survey of psoriasis patients in the Philippines who are members of online support groups. The survey was conducted for a period of three months.The purpose of the research project was to describe the demographics, disease characteristics, activities and benefits of online support groups to Filipino patients with psoriasis. The extent to which members experience empowering processes and outcomes was also evaluated.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

124

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • ADULT
  • OLDER_ADULT
  • CHILD

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Members of virtual psoriasis local support networks (Yahoo-based Psoriasis Philippine Online Community, Inc. and Facebook Psoriasis Online Support Group) will be the main subjects of the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • diagnosis of psoriasis
  • individuals who are willing to complete the online survey
  • proficiency in English
  • membership in an online psoriasis support network

Exclusion Criteria:

  • nonmembers
  • unwilling to participate in the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Online support user
Joining online support group
Other Names:
  • Online social network, virtual online community

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Demographic profile of online support users
Time Frame: 3 months
The sociodemographic profile of the respondents such as age (mean, range), sex, civil status, level of formal education, employment status were described.
3 months
Disease characteristics of online support users
Time Frame: 3 months
The overall health status (poor, average, good), psoriasis severity (mild, moderate, severe), duration of illness of online support groups were evaluated.
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Activities performed and extent of participation of online support users
Time Frame: 3 months
Participants were also asked regarding their attitudes and experiences with online communities, length of use, log-on frequency and nature of online activities.
3 months
Empowering processes and outcomes experienced by online support group members
Time Frame: 3 months
The frequency with which empowering processes (exchange information, find recognition, share experiences, encounter emotional support, help others) occurred were measured on a 3-point scale (1-seldom to never, 2-sometimes, 3-often). The outcomes experienced (are better informed, feel more confident in relationship with physician, have improved acceptance, feel more confident with treatment, have enhanced social well-being, have increased optimism and control over the future, have enhanced self-esteem) were assessed on a 3-point scale (1-disagree, 2-neither agree nor disagree, 3-agree).
3 months
Correlation of variables
Time Frame: 3 months
Intervariable correlation (overall health status/psoriasis severity with frequency/duration of usage, educational level/employment status with frequency of usage) were also be assessed for significance.
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Charlene U Ang-Tiu, MD, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Section of Dermatology

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

February 1, 2011

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

June 1, 2011

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

August 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 26, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 1, 2011

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

November 4, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

November 4, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 1, 2011

Last Verified

November 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • MED01032011

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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