What We Can Learn From Virtual Support Systems
What are the advantages (and disadvantages) of virtual / online support systems for cancer patients? What kinds of lessons do these support systems for cancer patients offer for other kinds of patients? What kinds of lessons do these support systems for cancer patients offer in the bigger picture, as more and more of our hour-to-hour, day-to-day activities move from the physical world to the virtual world?
Presenters
Heidi Schultz Adams is the Senior Director of Engagement for LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, where she oversees online and offline grassroots initiatives. In 2000, based on her personal experience as a cancer survivor, she pioneered Planet Cancer, the first online community for young adults with cancer in their 20s and 30s, which gave a voice and identity to this previously overlooked group. For her work with young adults, Heidi has won numerous awards from groups including WebMD and the American Cancer Society. A writer by preference, Heidi has written two books in the cancer space, most recently the irreverent guide to "doing" cancer as a young adult, "Planet Cancer: (The Frequently Bizarre but Always Informative Experiences and Thoughts of Your Fellow Natives)".