Browsing by Author "Kelly, Jeanine Erin"

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    A 'controversial' decision: multiple sclerosis patients, online medical knowledge and the ccsvi procedure
    (2012) Kelly, Jeanine Erin; Ducey, Ariel
    This thesis examines how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) used internet resources, including personal narratives on patient-based websites and medical information, to learn about a new and 'controversial' treatment based on the theory that MS is caused by chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). In-depth asynchronous or telephone interviews were conducted with 49 people with MS. Findings are that people with MS have used internet resources to develop reflexive communities and sometimes challenge the authority and knowledge of medical practitioners. Also examined is how study participants view the use of the internet to make the theory of CCSVI indispensable. Finally, the thesis shows that while MS patients use internet resources to become informed, the decision to undergo the CCSVI procedure was subjective and based on how each participant viewed the progression of their disease and the chances that CCSVI could reconnect them with their sense of self.