Blogging for Personal Health Communities Online

People naturally form communities. In high school they’re called cliques, in college clubs, but in healthcare — what’s the first community that comes to mind? Support groups, perhaps? Group counseling? Even though these forums offer much-needed guidance and support for health consumers and patients, they also often come with social stigmas that deter would-be attendees from crossing the threshold and taking a seat.

The truth is, in today’s digital age, people reach out for community in many ways, often over the internet. Blogging is a great way to build digital communities with others who share or who have gone through similar experiences. Bloggers are also approachable, often sharing their contact details via comments, emails, Twitter, Facebook, or other online social avenues.

For those looking to start building a blogging community, YourCareEverywhere is a great place to start. We’ve built a strong blog roll with a wide array of bloggers covering a diverse array of personal health topics:

• Jennifer Dennard: “Being Well” blog: Jennifer is a wife and working mom of two who can't seem to get her day started without at least one strong cup of coffee and 10 minutes of quiet time.
• Michael Hedrick: “Inside Schizophrenia” blog: Michael has lived with schizophrenia since he was 20 and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Week, and others.
• Richard Rende, PhD: “Research and Practice in Child Psychology” blog: Dr. Rende is co-author of "Raising Can-Do Kids: Giving Children the Tools to Thrive in a Fast-Changing World" (Perigee/Penguin). He is a developmental psychologist, educator, and consultant, and his research has been funded by multiple branches of the National Institutes of Health.
• Mima Geere, MD, MS, NU: “Mind-Body Health” blog: Dr. Geere spent over 18 years building a foundation of knowledge and experience in health and wellness, starting as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer. Her expertise is in the area of cardio-metabolic health with a focus on the science of nutrition and wellness.
• Leah Outten: “For Moms Everywhere” blog: Leah became a mom at 19 years old and standing short at 4 foot 11. She is now a mother of four and a birth mother in an open adoption.
• Temma Ehrenfeld: “Your Health and Your People” blog: Temma’s award-winning journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Reuters, and Fortune, and her essays, poetry, and short stories have been in the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Weekly Standard, Skirt!, Writers Digest, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Hudson Review, Chicago Literary Quarterly, Catamaran Literary Reader, and Prism International.
• David Eltz: “Healthy Conscience” blog: David is Managing Editor for YourCareEverywhere. His work about health, wellness, and science has appeared in newspapers and magazines and on the internet for 20 years.
• Stephen Outten: “Health Lab Whiteboard” blog: Stephen is Content Strategy Manager for YourCareEverywhere. He’s an award-winning writer and an emerging voice in contemporary healthcare with a diverse portfolio of roles in consumer health, revenue cycle management, and health IT.

The great news is that we have even more bloggers and features coming, with specialties in chronic conditions such as diabetes, a powerful comments section, and more social-sharing functionality.

In the meantime, we’re happy to welcome you into our digital community.