Table 1.
Results of coding of the blog content (n=100 blogs).
| Coding items | Sex |
|
|||
| Men | Women | Undisclosed | Total | ||
| Date of blog post relative to disease notification date |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
|
|
Identical to notification date | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 |
|
|
After notification date | 34 | 35 | 3 | 72 |
| Blog author |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patient | 30 | 24 | 3 | 57 |
|
|
Family member | 18 | 22 | 3 | 43 |
| Person who received notification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 14 | 16 | 3 | 33 |
|
|
Patient only | 20 | 12 | 2 | 34 |
|
|
Family member(s) only | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
|
|
Both patient and family member(s) | 10 | 14 | 1 | 25 |
| Person who requested notification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 33 | 33 | 3 | 69 |
|
|
Patient only | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Family member(s) only | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
Both patient and family member(s) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
|
|
Based solely on physician discretion | 13 | 9 | 2 | 24 |
| Family history of cancer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 47 | 44 | 6 | 97 |
|
|
Yes | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
|
|
No | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cancer stage at notification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 26 | 29 | 2 | 57 |
|
|
Stage I | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
|
|
Stage II | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
|
|
Stage III | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
|
|
Stage IV | 11 | 8 | 2 | 21 |
| Type of medical treatment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 21 | 21 | 4 | 46 |
|
|
Surgery | 5 | 10 | 1 | 16 |
|
|
Radiotherapy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
|
|
Combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
|
|
Chemotherapy | 14 | 9 | 1 | 24 |
|
|
Alternative therapies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Combination of radiotherapy and alternative therapies | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patient actions after notification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 32 | 33 | 5 | 70 |
|
|
Retrieved information from the Internet and books | 6 | 5 | 0 | 11 |
|
|
Arranged their personal affairs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Informed family members | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
|
|
Informed nonfamily members (eg, employer) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Started their blog | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
|
|
Closed down their blog | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Commenced treatment approaches different to their physician's recommendation | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
|
|
Combination of several of the above actions | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Satisfaction toward health care |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not indicated | 30 | 34 | 5 | 69 |
|
|
Dissatisfied with physician's treatment | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
|
|
Dissatisfied with provided care | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
|
|
Dissatisfied with both physician's treatment and provided care | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
|
|
Satisfied with physician's treatment | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
|
|
Satisfied with provided care | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
Satisfied with both physician's treatment and provided care | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
|
|
Dissatisfied with physician's treatment but satisfied with provided care | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |