Call for Chapters: E-Health Communities and Online Self-Help Groups

E-Health Communities and Online Self-Help Groups: Applications and Usage
A book edited by Dr. Åsa Smedberg, Stockholm University, Sweden
REVISED SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 1 APRIL 2010.

INTRODUCTION
E-health communities, also called web-based health communities, have become popular arenas for support and sharing of experience, knowledge and advice among patients and citizens. E-health communities are used on a day-to-day basis by people who help each other cope with different health conditions and learn together about health-related issues and behaviors. Through these self-help groups patients as well as citizens can get more empowered.

Online self-help groups exist in many different health areas, from severe physical and mental disorders, such as cancer and depression, to lifestyle problems such as bad eating habits, smoking and stress, i.e. lifestyles that are considered to cause health risks to people. In this new world of increased usage of e-health communities, there is a need to discuss different ways of designing and using these systems for communication and learning in groups. There is also a need to systematically evaluate them in terms of learning opportunities, behavioral changes and impacts on health and well-being. What factors to measure and how to measure them are difficult, but important, questions to address. Eventual negative effects are also to be explored and handled.

OBJECTIVE OF THE BOOK
This book will aim to provide relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area. It will aim to increase knowledge and understanding of applications and usage of e-health communities for self-help groups who struggle with health disorders, disabilities, lifestyle issues and other health concerns. Different e-health community settings will be presented, observations of community usage and effects discussed, and complementing ways to measure effectiveness will be introduced and analyzed.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience of this book will be composed of researchers in social and health informatics, designers of e-health platforms and clinical health professionals, such as physicians, dieticians, physiotherapists and district nurses. It will also be useful for patients’ interest groups. Moreover, the book will provide insights and support executives concerned with making IT-strategies for healthcare.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

- E-health communities and coping
- E-health communities, knowledge and learning
- E-health communities and trust
- E-health communities on lifestyle issues
- E-health communities on health disorders
- Citizen and patient empower
- Social communication and learning in self-help groups
- Conversation analysis methods
- Impact of e-health communities
- Evaluation methods and measurements
- Flexible and user-oriented e-health communities
- E-health community usage: case studies
- Longitudinal studies of e-health communities
- Comparative studies of different community settings
- User experiences (citizens/patients)
- E-health communities in healthcare contexts
- Combinations/comparisons with different forms of self-management and interventions
- Innovative design principles
- Trends in self-help groups on the Internet
- Initiatives to bridge digital divide and social /cultural differences
- Future platforms for self-help groups – Ideas, concepts and design
- Web 2.0 and e-health communities
- Flexibility, mobility and multimedia applications

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before March 1, 2010, a 2-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Kindly include a title and contact information for each contributor (Name, Affiliation, and E-mail) within the file. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by March 15, 2010, about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by July 1, 2010. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

PUBLISHER
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2011.

IMPORTANT DATES
April 1, 2010: Proposal Submission Deadline
April 15, 2010: Notification of Acceptance
July 1, 2010: Full Chapter Submission
September 15, 2010: Review Results Returned
October 15, 2010: Final Chapter Submission
November 15, 2010: Final Deadline

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to:

Dr. Åsa Smedberg
Department of Computer and Systems Sciences
Stockholm University
SE-164 40 Kista, Sweden
Tel.: +46-8-16 16 99 • Fax: +46-8-703 90 25
Email: asasmed@dsv.su.se

Associated Link: Call for Chapters: E-Health Communities and Online Self-Help Groups - Applications and Usage

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