LAUSR

Background: Social media has allowed patients and families to document the chronic illness experience though first person narratives in the form of blogs. Blogs give insight in the experience through a first-person perspective. Blogs can be used in qualitative research, but the methodology may be complicated. Method and Results: A study exploring the experience of heart transplant candidates was conducted using blog and interview analysis. Specific questions to be answered related to blog methodology included privacy concerns, sample size, missing demographics, and lack of opportunity for clarification. Findings included more personal disclosures of psychological concerns through interviews as compared to blogs. Conclusions: Blogs can be used in research, however, methodological concerns need to be explored and clarified prior to using this data source.