FOR 5303:  Digital media in chronic disease self-management (DISELMA)

• Subject Area: Social and Behavioural Sciences
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 456132969

Chronic diseases belong to the most common and economically significant health problems in industrialized countries, putting long-term strains on individuals and society. Effective measures are necessary to facilitate coping with such diseases, among which self-management has be-come an important pillar. While the effects of traditional disease self-management programs are sometimes weak and adherence is low, digital media technologies, being ubiquitous and interac-tive, may facilitate self-management. Indeed, evidence on the effects of digital media on self-management is promising. However, results are inconsistent and of limited validity due to theo-retical and methodological weaknesses. In addition, negative consequences on individual, inter-personal, and societal levels are discussed, such as privacy infringement, social isolation, an impaired physician-patient relationship, and an increasing social gap. Therefore, research be-yond the individual is needed taking processes on the interpersonal, organizational, and societal levels into account. On the individual level, research needs to consider the imminent role contin-ued use plays in the effects of self-management. Therefore, this Research Unit (RU) examines the continued use and effects of digital chronic disease self-management in its interpersonal, organizational, and societal contexts and the pertaining phenomena on each level. To structure these levels, we propose the ecological model of digital chronic disease self-management, inte-grating different communication perspectives and levels of analysis.The RU comprises eight individual projects. Three projects at the individual level analyze pat-terns and determinants of continued use, privacy decisions, and effects of digital media in the context of digital chronic disease self-management. Three projects analyze the interpersonal and organizational levels by looking into the role of healthcare providers, informal network contacts, and organizations with a network approach. Finally, two projects analyze journalistic, specialist, and social media to gain insights into the framing of digital chronic disease self-management on the societal level. This comprehensive perspective calls for expertise in various communication subdisciplines, theoretical and methodological broadness, but at the same time, clear-cut joint concepts within the RU: self-management, continued use, expectancy-value theories, network approach, and framing approach. Hence, this RU contributes to the existing research on digital chronic disease self-management by taking a theoretically and methodologically comprehensive approach uniquely gathered in communication studies and with clear-cut common concepts and collaborations able to improve the understanding and processes at and between all ecological levels. The results in the context of this phenomenon will also allow for drawing conclusions to the broader context of digital media and coping with modern stressors.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Coordination Funds (Applicant Rossmann, Constanze )
• Effects of mobile media use for chronic disease self-management (IP2: effects) (Applicant Rossmann, Constanze )
• IP1: Niches structuring mobile media use in chronic disease self-management (Applicant Karnowski, Veronika )
• IP4 healthcare: The physician-patient relationship in the adoption and everyday life integration process of digital media for chronic disease self-management (Applicant Riesmeyer, Claudia )
• IP5: The influence of informal network contacts on the everyday life integration of digital media for chronic disease self-management (Applicant Reifegerste, Doreen )
• News reporting on digital media use for the self-management of chronic diseases (IP7: reporting) (Applicant Metag, Julia )
• Organizations’ communication about the use of digital media for the self-management of chronic diseases (IP6: organizations) (Applicant Raupp, Juliana )

• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Constanze Rossmann