Analyzing Knowledge Construction in Online Health Group Discussion

Achmad Ghazali (), Alexei Tretiakov, Dematria Pringgabayu and Dany Muhammad Athory Ramdlany
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Achmad Ghazali: School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Alexei Tretiakov: #x2020;School of Management, College of Business, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Dematria Pringgabayu: School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Dany Muhammad Athory Ramdlany: School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), 2017, vol. 16, issue 01, 1-19

Abstract: The ongoing transition to the patient-centred healthcare paradigm suggests that patients adopt an active role in managing their health conditions. As a result, the Internet is becoming an important source of health-related information. Internet-based health support groups allow patients to access diverse information relevant to their particular situation by participating in online discussions. The quality of such information may have effects on the patients’ health outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of knowledge construction in health support group online discussions on perceived information quality, information quality from the perspective of information consumers, and on information integrity, that is, validity from the point of view of the current state of scientific knowledge. It was hypothesised that knowledge construction results in better perceived information quality and in higher information integrity. A health support group online discussion site devoted to weight management was used as a source of data. Quantitative content analysis was used with a discussion thread as a unit of analysis. Based on the findings, the study suggested that moderators of health support group online discussions should promote explicitation or lower level knowledge construction by encouraging clarifications and refinements of health-related recommendations. Moreover, participation of qualified health practitioners is desirable to promote health-related behaviours based on evidence-based knowledge and to expose recommendations that have uncertain or even dangerous effects.

Keywords: Knowledge construction; information quality; information integrity; health support group; online discussion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1142/S0219649217500095

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