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What is Virtual Community

Chapter 9

Handbook of Research on ICTs for Human-Centered Healthcare and Social Care Services

A group of individuals who communicate by electronic means such as the Internet, who share interests, without needing to be in the same place, or having physical contact, or belonging to a particular ethnic group.

Published in Chapter:

Social Networks as a Tool to Improve the Life Quality of Chronic Patients and Their Relatives

Miguel Guinalíu (University of Zaragoza, Spain), Javier Marta (Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Spain), and José María Subero (Aragón Government, Spain)

Source Title: Handbook of Research on ICTs for Human-Centered Healthcare and Social Care Services

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-3986-7.ch009

Abstract

The evolution of society has modified the medical needs of the population from social and economic criteria. Social networks can partially help these new medical demands contributing to improve the life quality of chronic patients and their relatives through the modification of the ways of communication and interaction. In order to analyze the real value of social networks in this chapter the authors study a real case. This analysis allows them to identify the benefits that social networks can provide to chronic patients, as well as the barriers that must be considered to implement them as health service tools.