Examining the Medical Blogosphere: An Online Survey of Medical Bloggers
2008

Understanding Medical Bloggers

Sample size: 80 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Gunther Eysenbach, Dean Giustini, John Grohol, Peter Seeman, Neil Kovic, Ivor MD, Ileana Lulic, Gordana Brumini

Primary Institution: Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, Toronto, Canada

Hypothesis

What are the characteristics and motivations of medical bloggers?

Conclusion

Medical bloggers are highly educated and dedicated, often sharing practical knowledge and influencing others through their writing.

Supporting Evidence

  • 42% of the contacted bloggers responded to the survey.
  • 75% of respondents were highly educated with a Masters degree or doctorate.
  • 66% of bloggers received attention from the news media.
  • Major motivations included sharing knowledge and influencing others.

Takeaway

Medical bloggers are smart people who write about health topics to help others and share what they know.

Methodology

An online survey was conducted with 197 medical bloggers, collecting data on their blogging habits, motivations, and demographics.

Potential Biases

The sample may be skewed towards bloggers who practice good blogging habits.

Limitations

The study may not represent all medical bloggers due to the exclusion of those without direct contact information.

Participant Demographics

The majority were white, highly educated males aged 30-49, primarily from the United States.

Statistical Information

P-Value

.016

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.2196/jmir.1118

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