The new patterns of communication by analysing how patients with prostate cancer interacted on line, has been investigated by a team of German scientists. This research found that there were negative effects of seeking help from non-professionals, a common source of criticism from traditional groups towards their on line counterparts.

Their findings, published in the British Journal of Urology (BJU) International, were based on an analysis of 501 threads posted during a 32-month period on Germany's largest prostate cancer forum.

This research shows that out of the questions posed in the forum, the top 3 types of question were about therapy recommendations, treatment and any related side-effects; beyond these more practical queries, 46% of the men were seeking emotional support. The team also found that in the sample of responses they analysed, forum users were more likely to advise against surgery and suggest radiotherapy instead.

The study also has implications for how conventional support groups can develop. It seems easier for people to express the emotional side of the support they need in a virtual environment, and the studies' authors recommend that conventional support groups incorporate this element into their programmes. However, the team did find that there were negative effects of seeking help from non-professionals, a common source of criticism from traditional groups towards their online counterparts. Therefore, the main conclusion is that the two forms of support must complement each other.

In addition, although the forum appeared to constitute a vibrant 'conversation' with many voices, the team found that only 5% of users contributed to 70% of all the postings. Given this statistic, the study's authors acknowledge that to fully understand the impact of online forums like this, more research into 'lurkers', the passive observers who read the questions and responses but don't contribute anything themselves, would need to be carried out.

In conclusion, these findings help to defend the potential of eHealth. In this context, the first time of the EU eHealth Task Force in Budapest on 10th May was celebrated in the framework of the eHealth week to speed up innovation in healthcare to the benefit of patients, carers and the healthcare sector.