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Stroke is a chronic condition and a leading cause of disability. After hospital discharge, patients need to transition into home-based rehabilitation, a long and distressful process. However, they are often ill-prepared to manage recovery at home; and many are socially isolated. There is a growing number of stroke patients who utilize social media platforms, YouTube in particular, to publish video blogs (vlogs) to make their stories heard and to share their rehabilitation experience. In this study, we analyzed 246 such YouTube vlogs to better understand this new form of patient story-telling and its value to vloggers, viewers, as well as healthcare professionals. We found that vlogging helps stroke patients overcome physical and speech constraints to self-journal, and to connect with other people online. Based on these findings, we discuss how future health systems may leverage vlogs to design self-tracking technologies, to generate patient health data, and to offer patient-centered education.

Stroke is a chronic condition and a leading cause of disability. After hospital discharge, patients need to transition into home-based rehabilitation, a long and distressful process. However, they are often ill-prepared to manage recovery at home; and many are socially isolated. There is a growing number of stroke patients who utilize social media platforms, YouTube in particular, to publish video blogs (vlogs) to make their stories heard and to share their rehabilitation experience. In this study, we analyzed 246 such YouTube vlogs to better understand this new form of patient story-telling and its value to vloggers, viewers, as well as healthcare professionals. We found that vlogging helps stroke patients overcome physical and speech constraints to self-journal, and to connect with other people online. Based on these findings, we discuss how future health systems may leverage vlogs to design self-tracking technologies, to generate patient health data, and to offer patient-centered education.