Stage-Based Model of User Engagement Patterns in an Online Health Community for Cardiovascular Disease Management: Qualitative Interview Study

Background

Online health communities (OHCs) provide vital peer support and health information to individuals managing chronic conditions. However, sustained user engagement remains challenging, with many users reducing activity over time despite the ongoing benefits these platforms offer. While some individuals may improve or become more knowledgeable, sustained engagement remains critical because ongoing participation fosters trust, peer support, and continuous access to evolving health information that may persist beyond initial recovery or learning. Hence, it is important to consider how community needs evolve as users' health needs and information-seeking behaviors change to inform how we support users through different stages of their health and participation journeys.