Towards a Fourth Cosmology of Doctor-Patient Relationship: A Reflection on the Virtual Patient Community PatientsLikeMe

  • Konstantinos Bletsos
  • George Alexias
  • Charalambos Tsekeris Athens Panteion University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v11i1.462
Keywords: Virtual Communities, Online Research, Medical Power, Scientific Knowledge, Cyberbehavior, Sociology of Health and Illness, Cybermethods

Abstract

The aim of this paper is the study of an online patient community (Patientslikeme) and, specifically, of the impact of virtuality in the shaping of the patient-doctor relationship. Drawing from Kozinets’s research paradigm, known as ethnography of the Internet (Netnography), we investigate the patients’ attitudes toward the medical profession. Examining relevant data from the ALS forum, we set up three main axes of analysis: (a) the energetic versus passive stance towards doctors, (b) the evidence-based scientific knowledge versus alternative forms of knowledge, and (c) the positive versus negative attitude towards doctors and medical practices. The underlying theoretical hypothesis, i.e. whether the virtual community empowers patients over against the authority of the medical profession, is verified. Other interesting findings involve the value of evidence-based scientific knowledge, the intermediary role of the online community in building the patient-physician relationship, and the development of an alternative discourse towards the dominant medical discourse. All the above suggest that we have entered an era where the control of the patient is being transferred to another (digital) dimension, in which virtual communities play a crucial role.

Author Biography

Charalambos Tsekeris, Athens Panteion University
Charalambos Tsekeris graduated with Distinction from Brunel University (West London, UK) and earned his doctoral degree in Reflexivity from Athens Panteion University (Department of Sociology). He is currently lecturing at Athens Panteion University (Department of Psychology) and holding the post of Ass. Professor of Sociology at Hellenic Police Academy. He is also a Member of the Hellenic Sociological Association and the Hellenic Sociological Society (HSS), co-editor of the peer-reviewed Intellectum Journal, and a researcher at the Center for the Psycho-Sociological Research on the Governance of Virtual Communities (OMEGA Research Center). He has more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, focused on various fields of work: Social Theory, Networks and Societal Dynamics, Reflexive Behavior and Critical Knowledge, Agency and Structure, Epistemology and Social Research, Communication and Media Studies, Cultural and Gender Studies, Linguistics and Discourse/Textual Analysis, Social Philosophy, Cyberspace and Virtual Communities, Chaos and Complexity Theory, Sociology of Scientific Knowledge and Technology Studies, Virtuality and Emergence, Creativity and Leadership, Risk and Uncertainty, Public Understanding of Science, Spokespersonship and Posthumanism His most important publications include: * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2010) “Virtual Communities”. In: Ritzer/Ryan (eds) Concise Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. London: Wiley-Blackwell. * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2010) “Technopolitics”. In: Ritzer/Ryan (eds) Concise Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. London: Wiley-Blackwell. * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2010) “Sociology of Scientific Knowledge”. In: Ritzer/Ryan (eds) Concise Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. London: Wiley-Blackwell. * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2010) “Pierre Bourdieu”. In: Ritzer/Ryan (eds) Concise Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. London: Wiley-Blackwell. * Tsekeris, Charalambos & Konstantinos Koskinas (2010) A “Weak” Reflection on Unpredictability and Social Theory. tripleC – Cognition, Communication, Co-operation: Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society 8(1). * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2009) “Reflections on the changing profile of science and knowledge”, Facta Universitatis. Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History, 8(1). * Tsekeris, Charalambos (2009) “Advances in Understanding Human Complex Systems”, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(4). * Tsekeris, Theodore and Charalambos Tsekeris (2009) “Transport Investment and Sustainable Urban and Regional Development”, Facta Universitatis. Series: Economics and Organization, 6(1). * Papastamou, Stamos and Gerasimos Prodromitis and Charalambos Tsekeris. "Committed Social Psychology." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos and Anna Lydaki. "Apophatic Reflexivity." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos and Theodore Tsekeris. "Anarchism and Urban Planning." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos "Virtual Communities." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos and Theodore Tsekeris. "Transport and virtual technologies." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, C. and N. Katrivesis (2008) Ethical Reflexivity and Epistemological Weakness. Tamara Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry, 7(3). * Tsekeris, Charalambos and Ioannis Katerelos. "Spokespersonship." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, C. and N. Katrivesis (2008) “Reflexivity in Sociological Theory and Social Action” Facta Universitatis. Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History, 7(1). * C. Tsekeris, “Thoughts on the Nature of the Virtual” (2008) ACM Ubiquity, 9(28). * Tsekeris, C. and I. Katerelos (2008) “Reconsidering the Understanding of Technoscientific Knowledge”, Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2). * C. Tsekeris, “Exploring the Social in Science and Technology Studies” The Social Sciences, 3(7). * Tsekeris, C. and T. Tsekeris (2008) “Anarchist Influences on British Planning before 1940” Occupied London Journal, Issue 3. * Tsekeris, Charalambos. "Technopolitics." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos. "Knowledge Politics." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * Tsekeris, Charalambos. "Performativity." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Ritzer, George (ed). Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Blackwell Reference Online. * C. Tsekeris, “Technology as Politics” (2007) ACM Ubiquity, 8(37).
Published
2013-01-02
Issue
Vol 11 No 1 (2013)
Section
Reflections (Non Peer-Reviewed)

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