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Ask A Multiple Myeloma Survivor
Hi, my name is David Emerson, and I have been a Multiple Myeloma survivor since 1994.
To learn the details of my story, please click here.
I believe that talking to a Multiple Myeloma survivor about your questions and concerns–whether related to your treatment plan, your side effects, or what questions you need to ask your oncologist– can have a positive impact on your decision-making process and your survival rate.
So, ask away! I will respond to you within 24 hours.
Interactive Health Communication Applications for people with chronic disease
“Interactive Health Communication Applications (IHCAs) are computer‐based, usually web‐based, information packages for patients that combine health information with at least one of social support, decision support, or behaviour change support. These are innovations in health care and their effects on health are uncertain…
IHCAs had a significant positive effect on knowledge (SMD 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22 to 0.69), social support (SMD 0.35; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.52) and clinical outcomes (SMD 0.18; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.35). Results suggest it is more likely than not that IHCAs have a positive effect on self‐efficacy (a person’s belief in their capacity to carry out a specific action) (SMD 0.24; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.48). IHCAs had a significant positive effect on continuous behavioural outcomes (SMD 0.20; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.40). Binary behavioural outcomes also showed a positive effect for IHCAs, although this result was not statistically significant (OR 1.66; 95% CI 0.71 to 3.87). It was not possible to determine the effects of IHCAs on emotional or economic outcomes…
IHCAs appear to have largely positive effects on users, in that users tend to become more knowledgeable, feel better socially supported, and may have improved behavioural and clinical outcomes compared to non‐users. There is a need for more high quality studies with large sample sizes to confirm these preliminary findings, to determine the best type and best way to deliver IHCAs, and to establish how IHCAs have their effects for different groups of people with chronic illness.”