| Absence of geographical barriers |
Inequity of access and creation of a ‘digital divide’ |
| Absence of temporal barriers |
Difficult to detect conversational nuances as non‐verbal elements of communication are missing. Consequently the meaning of messages can be misinterpreted |
| Anonymity means that participants do not have to worry about their appearance or socio‐demographical characteristics affecting the responses of others |
Anonymity and the virtual nature of the group can lower the threshold of acceptable behaviour leading to socially inappropriate and aggressive messages |
| Facilitates open discussion of sensitive issues due to anonymity and disembodied nature of communication |
As there is a lack of control of information exchange, participants can be confronted with the negative aspects of different conditions and have to contend with negative/pessimistic participants |
| Participants can control their level of participation and play a passive or an active role |
There is the potential for the exchange of inaccurate and potentially dangerous information |
| Access to an increased number and diversity of perspectives and resources |
Asynchronicity means that there is a time lag before participants receive a response |
| Useful for people with rare conditions and for disabled people |
Potentially addictive and may lead to a decrease in face‐to‐face socialization |
| As a text‐based medium, the process of writing about feelings may be therapeutic in itself |
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| May provide insight into the experiences of those with long‐term conditions for health professionals and relatives |
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| Financial costs said to be ‘reasonable’ for stakeholders |
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| Enable exchange of information about particular conditions and treatments |
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