Informed by the Digital Coping Model, this article explores the use of social network sites among chronically ill patients and caregivers. In particular, it focuses on the use of Facebook (FB) groups among patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their caregivers in the Philippines. Situated in a country with a high prevalence of CVD, it explores the communication technology affordances and digital coping activities of members belonging to a private FB group for CVD. Using in-depth interviews with members, this article found that digital coping engages with polymedia, that is, patients and caregivers use the private FB group together with other platforms. Members likewise engaged with praying as an emergent digital coping activity. Moreover, they characterised the private FB group as an epistemic community critical for creating, sharing and challenging CVD-related information. Taken together, the results extend the conversations about the ways patients and caregivers continue to repurpose communication and technology for managing their chronic illness in the larger backdrop of polymedia, limited access to healthcare, and the ongoing pandemic. Implications to moderators of health groups, healthcare professionals and health associations are discussed.

中文翻译：

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“他们知道这是什么样的”：探索 Facebook 群组的数字化应对方式

本文根据数字应对模型，探讨了慢性病患者和护理人员对社交网站的使用情况。它特别关注菲律宾被诊断为心血管疾病 (CVD) 的患者及其护理人员使用 Facebook (FB) 群组的情况。该项目位于一个 CVD 发病率较高的国家，探讨了 CVD 私人 FB 群组成员的通信技术可供性和数字应对活动。通过对成员的深入访谈，本文发现数字应对与多媒体相结合，即患者和护理人员将私人 FB 群组与其他平台一起使用。成员们同样将祈祷作为一种新兴的数字应对活动。此外，他们将私人 FB 群组描述为一个认知社区，对于创建、共享和质疑 CVD 相关信息至关重要。总而言之，这些结果扩展了关于患者和护理人员在多媒体媒体、医疗保健机会有限和持续流行的大背景下如何继续重新利用沟通和技术来管理慢性病的讨论。讨论了对健康团体、医疗保健专业人员和健康协会主持人的影响。