title: ePatients on YouTube: analysis of four experiences from the patients' perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many patients share their personal experiences and opinions using online video platforms. These videos are watched by millions of health consumers and health care professionals. Although it has become a popular phenomenon, little is known about patients who share videos online and why they do so.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to explore the motivations and challenges faced by patients who share videos about their health and experiences on YouTube. As part of a conference discussion, we asked several patients actively engaged on YouTube to make a video explaining their motivations. This paper discusses these videos.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this qualitative study, we performed an analysis of the videos created by 4 patients about their self-reported motivations and challenges they face as YouTube users. First, two judges compared the transcriptions and decided the exact wording when confusing content was found. Second, two judges categorized the content of the videos to identify the major themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  four main categories emerged: (1) the origin or cause for making the first video, (2) the objectives that they achieve by continuing to make videos, (3) the perception of community, and (4) the negative consequences of the experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main reason for making videos was to bridge the gap between traditional health information about their diseases and everyday life. The first consequence of sharing their life on YouTube was a loss of privacy. However, they also experienced the positive effects of expressing their feelings, being part of a large community of peers, and helping others to deal with a chronic condition.
authors: PSINET IN3 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Barcelona Spain.
authors: Beni
authors: B
authors: Gómez-Zúñiga
authors: Northern Research Institute Tromso Norway.
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Fernandez-Luque
authors: PSINET IN3 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Barcelona Spain.
authors: Modesta
authors: M
authors: Pousada
authors: PSINET IN3 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Barcelona Spain.
authors: Eulàlia
authors: E
authors: Hernández-Encuentra
authors: PSINET IN3 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Barcelona Spain.
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Armayones
keywords: Internet; Medical informatics; YouTube; chronic conditions; health communication; patient-physician relationship; social networks