背景：许多接受减肥（减肥）手术的患者在在线讨论论坛中寻求信息和社会支持，但是大量的可用信息引起了人们对这些信息的影响的担忧。开发了一个安全的在线讨论论坛，并向减肥手术患者提供。该论坛已主持，并允许与同行和医疗保健专业人员联系。
目的：本研究的目的是探讨接受减肥手术的个体如何使用主持的讨论论坛，并更好地了解是什么影响了他们参与论坛。
方法：本研究设计为探索性案例研究。我们在大约六个月的时间内对讨论论坛进行了参与者观察。为了进一步了解，我们对7名参与论坛的患者进行了深入的半结构化访谈.我们对材料进行了感应分析，使用内容和主题分析。
结果：患者使用论坛作为与同行和提供者互动的舞台，以及提供和实现信息和社会支持。分析表明，有三个主要主题影响了在线论坛的参与：（1）参与者寻求信息的动机，建议,和指导,(2)同龄人之间需要社会支持和网络，(3)关于自我披露的担忧。
结论：这项研究的结果暗示，针对减肥手术患者的主持讨论论坛具有在治疗背景下使用的潜力。讨论论坛满足了减肥手术患者的信息和支持需求，对于那些将自己排除在传统计划之外并在表达自己需求方面遇到障碍的人特别有用。即使我们的发现暗示患者受益于使用论坛，无论他们的主动或被动参与，制约因素,例如关于自我披露的考虑，必须进一步调查，以防止某些用户被排除参与。
BACKGROUND: Many patients who undergo weight loss (bariatric) surgery seek information and social support in online discussion forums, but the vast amount of available information raises concerns about the impact of such information. A secure online discussion forum was developed and offered to bariatric surgery patients. The forum was moderated and allowed contact with peers and health care professionals.
OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to explore how individuals undergoing bariatric surgery used the moderated discussion forum and to better understand what influenced their participation in the forum.
METHODS: The study was designed as an explorative
case study. We conducted participant observation of the discussion forum over a time period of approximately six months. For further insight, we carried out in-depth semistructured interviews with seven patients who had access to the forum. We analyzed the material inductively, using content and thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The patients used the forum as an arena in which to interact with peers and providers, as well as to provide and achieve informational and social support. The analysis suggests that there are three major themes that influenced participation in the online discussion forum: (1) the participant\'s motivation to seek information, advice, and guidance, (2) the need for social support and networking among peers, and (3) concerns regarding self-disclosure.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study imply that a moderated discussion forum for bariatric surgery patients has potential for use in a therapeutic context. The discussion forum fulfilled the informational and support needs of the bariatric surgery patients and was particularly useful for those who excluded themselves from the traditional program and experienced barriers to expressing their own needs. Even though our findings imply that the patients benefitted from using the forum regardless of their active or passive participation, restraining factors, such as considerations regarding self-disclosure, must be further investigated to prevent certain users from being precluded from participation.
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