Bethan Treadgold

Award title:   Postdoctoral Fellowship    

Project Title:   Accessibility, acceptability, and accuracy of online support groups for primary care conditions. 

Brief Summary:   There has been a recent increase in the use of online support groups to support self-management of long-term conditions. Concern exists around the quality of user-generated health information, and the potential impact of poor-quality information on health outcomes. Many conditions managed in primary care require commitment to self-management, thus access to acceptable and accurate online information is crucial. Research has not explored how primary healthcare professionals could participate in approving information in online support groups. The aims of the fellowship are: 1) To explore the usefulness of developing a quality approval system overseen by primary healthcare professionals, for information shared in online support groups; 2) To explore how a quality approval system of information in online support groups, overseen by primary healthcare professionals, could be operationalised in practice. The fellowship will consist of four phases. Phase 1: Scoping review of the literature. Phase 2: Quality appraisal of information in online support groups about three common primary care conditions (eczema, hypertension, and pelvic floor disorders). Phase 3: Qualitative interviews with primary healthcare professionals and the public. Phase 4: Preparation of funding proposal aimed at developing a quality approval system. Throughout the research, developing ideas and opportunities for co-design will be discussed with patient and public contributors. This fellowship will identify the need for, and practicalities associated with, developing a quality approval system for information in online support groups. Findings could promote patient safety and improved self-management of health.

Start date:   2 May 2023

End date:   30 April 2025