Social networking in cancer care.

A good friend of mine died recently after a sudden and brief illness. One of the things that helped those of us who cared for and about her was the use of the social networking Web site, LotsaHelpingHands (www.lotsahelpinghands.com). The site enabled us to provide updates to her family and friends near and far, receive messages from them, coordinate her care, and help the family with food and child care. It also saved the family from being bombarded by well-wishers and people who wanted to help in some way during their time of acute crisis. It was amazing how quickly word spread. Within a day of the site going live, more than 150 people across the United States had signed up and all of the requests for help over the month were spoken for. When my friend was in the hospital, I showed her Web site to one of her nurses. The nurse was not aware of these free Web-based communities and said they would be especially helpful for patients with large or extended families. The Web site also gave the nurse a greater sense of who my friend was and all the friends and family supporting her from afar. I have participated in similar Web sites that help me keep in touch without burdening my friends (the patients) or their families. Have you heard of them or used them? Have your patients? Social networking sites allow users to communicate —regardless of location and time of day—and share pictures, videos, and other information. Face-book, Twitter, and Classmates.com are general social networking platforms. Hundreds of these sites have been developed since the late 1990s, but some, including CaringBridge, CarePages, and LotsaHelpingHands, are especially useful when facing an illness such as cancer. The sites were developed out of the need for people to stay connected with family and friends during health crises. The sites are free and easy to set up, provide open and private communication , and offer f u nctions such as posting pictures and requests for tasks or assistance with activities. In addition, patients and families who have a personal site can limit membership and control content. More than 74% of Americans have access to and use the Internet at home (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2009), yet many may not use the Web, including some of our older and less advantaged patients. How can we help them with linking to …