Online Social Networks Bridge Gaps for Chronically Ill

We just spotted a fantastic article in the New York Times that hits home for us here at Richmond Foot and Ankle Clinic. It details how people with ailments are joining forces to help each other out. That’s the whole idea behind Rich Feet. We want people to interact and help one another out. Do you know someone struggling with diabetes? foot ailments? podiatry concerns? Rich Feet strives to become a meeting spot where people can chat about health-related things without worrying that their friends or family will see what they write on facebook.

We encourage you to check out the great NYTimes article below. (We put an excerpt on the site, click here to view the full article)

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A former model who is now chronically ill and struggles just to shower says the people she has met online have become her family. A quadriplegic man uses the Web to share tips on which places have the best wheelchair access, and a woman with multiple sclerosis says her regular Friday night online chats are her lifeline.

For many people, social networks are a place for idle chatter about what they made for dinner or sharing cute pictures of their pets. But for people living with chronic diseases or disabilities, they play a more vital role.

“It’s really literally saved my life, just to be able to connect with other people,” said Sean Fogerty, 50, who has multiple sclerosis, is recovering from brain cancer and spends an hour and a half each night talking with other patients online.

People fighting chronic illnesses are less likely than others to have Internet access, but once online they are more likely to blog or participate in online discussions about health problems, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the California HealthCare Foundation.

“If they can break free from the anchors holding them down, people living with chronic disease who go online are finding resources that are more useful than the rest of the population,” said Susannah Fox, associate director of digital strategy at Pew and author of the report.

Click here to read more

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