title: Voices of the "99 Percent": The Role of Online Narrative to Improve Health Care.
abstract: Communal blogs facilitate online narratives by providing opportunities for individuals to co-construct meaning and to engage in discussion about lived health experiences.
  
  
  
  To examine the role of health as a connective narrative among individuals organizing collectively in an online community. The "We are the 99 percent" Tumblr blog emerged as a spontaneous community platform of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the US.
  
  
  
  Researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis of a total of 2003 blog posts.
  
  
  
  Data analysis included a process of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing and verification.
  
  
  
  Bloggers discussed medical crises and the role of injury and illness in maintaining financial solvency. The difficulty of obtaining health care and the lack of accessible quality care emerged as themes. In particular, unemployment and underemployment limited access to health insurance coverage. The bloggers expressed dissatisfaction with the health care system and the impact of financial status on health. These challenges were exacerbated for marginalized populations, such as women and veterans.
  
  
  
  Findings offer implications for the value of online narrative to improve health care initiatives and to provide insight to integrated health care systems, including health care practitioners, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and policy makers. Results suggest opportunities to address the health care gaps of marginalized populations and to develop public health policy.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor in the Communication Department at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. sundstrombl@cofc.edu.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundstrom
authors.affiliation: Student in the Communication Department at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. meiersj@g.cofc.edu.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Student of Science, Technology, and Society at Stanford University in CA. mandersc@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Student in the Public Health Department at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. boothke@g.cofc.edu.
authors.forename: Kathleen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: Student in the Public Health Department at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. cooperlk@g.cofc.edu.
authors.forename: Lacey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Student in the Public Health Department at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. flockec@g.cofc.edu.
authors.forename: Ellie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flock
authors.affiliation: Student in the Public Health Department at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. jackelynpayne@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jackelyn B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Biostatistician at the Hasbro Children's Hospital at Brown University in Providence, RI. priya_hirway@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hirway
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D057218:Blogging; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014831:Voice; D055815:Young Adult