Other Titles
EBP Moving Global Practice
Abstract
Session presented on Friday, July 25, 2014: Abstract Title: Munchausen by Internet: A netnographical case study. The Internet is a global phenomenon that provides a conduit for people to meet and collaborate without ever meeting face to face. As such, issues of truthfulness and trust are ongoing for all those who choose to click the mouse and enter cyberspace. This paper presents a case study drawn from a wider research project using netnography (Kozinets, 2010) where a purpose built www site called http://www.breastcancerclick.com.au or 'the Click' was developed and managed. Netnography has been used for more than a decade by researchers in the consumer and marketing field, thus is not now a new term and is widely accepted by these researchers as the preferred term to describe ethnographic research applied to the study of online communities and cultures (Kozinets, 2010). When Crotty's scaffolding for research is applied to netnography, a relatively new research methodology, it appears that it can be positioned in one of two ways, either under the category of ethnography as a variation of ethnography (Crotty, 1998, p. 5), or because of the way the study is pursued per online observation and interaction between researcher and research participants, as a new type of methodology. 'The Click' is a member only online therapeutic community set up to support people with breast cancer and their family and friends. This case study reveals that a member of this online community was identified with behaviors consistent with a factitious disorder the more extreme type of which is referred to as Munchausen Syndrome. When Munchausen Syndrome occurs online it is referred to as Munchausen by Internet. If the person also fabricates illnesses for immediate family members online it is known as Munchausen by proxy by Internet (Cunningham & Feldman, 2011, p. 185). The aim of this case study is to highlight how nurses and others can identify members of health related online support communities who are untruthful, using some of the aids to diagnosis of a factitious disorder and management strategies developed by Feldman (2000).
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Internet, Munchausen, Netnography
Recommended Citation
Witney, Cynthia A.; Cope, Vicki; and Hendricks, Joyce, "Munchausen By Internet: A Netnographical Case Study" (2014). INRC (Congress). 156.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2014/presentations_2014/156
Conference Name
25th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Hong Kong
Conference Year
2014
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Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Munchausen By Internet: A Netnographical Case Study
Hong Kong
Session presented on Friday, July 25, 2014: Abstract Title: Munchausen by Internet: A netnographical case study. The Internet is a global phenomenon that provides a conduit for people to meet and collaborate without ever meeting face to face. As such, issues of truthfulness and trust are ongoing for all those who choose to click the mouse and enter cyberspace. This paper presents a case study drawn from a wider research project using netnography (Kozinets, 2010) where a purpose built www site called http://www.breastcancerclick.com.au or 'the Click' was developed and managed. Netnography has been used for more than a decade by researchers in the consumer and marketing field, thus is not now a new term and is widely accepted by these researchers as the preferred term to describe ethnographic research applied to the study of online communities and cultures (Kozinets, 2010). When Crotty's scaffolding for research is applied to netnography, a relatively new research methodology, it appears that it can be positioned in one of two ways, either under the category of ethnography as a variation of ethnography (Crotty, 1998, p. 5), or because of the way the study is pursued per online observation and interaction between researcher and research participants, as a new type of methodology. 'The Click' is a member only online therapeutic community set up to support people with breast cancer and their family and friends. This case study reveals that a member of this online community was identified with behaviors consistent with a factitious disorder the more extreme type of which is referred to as Munchausen Syndrome. When Munchausen Syndrome occurs online it is referred to as Munchausen by Internet. If the person also fabricates illnesses for immediate family members online it is known as Munchausen by proxy by Internet (Cunningham & Feldman, 2011, p. 185). The aim of this case study is to highlight how nurses and others can identify members of health related online support communities who are untruthful, using some of the aids to diagnosis of a factitious disorder and management strategies developed by Feldman (2000).