CaringBridge
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CaringBridge is a charitable nonprofit organization offering free personalized websites to people facing a serious medical condition, hospitalization, undergoing medical treatment and/or recovering from a significant accident, illness, injury or procedure. Its functionality is similar to a blog. The service allows family members and friends to receive consistent information via a single website, and eliminates the need to place and receive numerous telephone calls. Visitors who are provided the personal website address (or URL) and password, if required, can read updates on the patient's condition and post their own messages of support and encouragement to the family.
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[edit] Purpose
CaringBridge sites make it easier for patients, caregivers, families and friends to exchange information about a patient’s medical condition or disease on an ongoing basis. The websites are designed to become conduits between patients, their families, friends, neighbors and colleagues.[1] When visiting an individual’s website, visitors can post messages of support during a significant medical condition, crisis or event.
[edit] How It Works
Anyone can set up a site for him/herself, a friend or family member by entering basic information, selecting a name for the website, and choosing a password. The site creator then chooses a page design from a menu of pre-determined graphical styles and sets the desired level of privacy and security on the site.
The creator enters basic information about the patient or situation, posts photos, and writes about the current condition. As the situation changes, the creator posts updates to that information. When those updates are made, anyone who registered on that website receives an e-mail notifying them that an update was posted. Guests can also leave messages for the patient or family in an online guestbook on that site.
[edit] Privacy
CaringBridge sites are not searchable by major search engines[2] (e.g. Google, Yahoo!) and the organization does not provide the name of specific sites, or information about the person who created the site. The only way to receive a CaringBridge site name is by requesting it from the person who created the site.
[edit] Usage
CaringBridge is one of the largest (for traffic) charitable nonprofit websites in the world.[3] By the end of 2007, more than 100,000 people have created a CaringBridge website. In total, those websites have received over a half a billion visits and 15 million written guestbook messages of love, hope and support.
[edit] History
CaringBridge was started in 1997[4] by Sona Mehring after a friend gave birth to a premature baby. Mehring created a website to post medical and status updates, and provide a way for friends and family members to leave messages of support.
[edit] Affiliations
CaringBridge is a member of the National Health Council.[5]
[edit] See also
- Health care
- Social network service
- Virtual community
- Sona Mehring, Founder and Executive Director
[edit] References
- ^ Connections between different personal groups: Newsweek cover story, April 17, 2007, Jonathan Alter: Living With Cancer in America
- ^ Sites not searchable: article at ThePatientReport.com.
- ^ per Nielsen Online
- ^ 1997 start for CaringBridge: article at the Orlando Sentinel website.
- ^ National Health Council membership: NationalHealthCouncil.org website.
