Narratives of empowerment and compliance: Studies of communication in online patient support groups

► Social technology can contribute to patient compliance and at the same time have empowerment potential. ► Demonstrate difference in individual empowerment and collective empowerment ► The methodology of the study adds qualitative and textual analysis to the quantitative research on communication with IT. ► The in depth analysis arrives at a communicational genre of 'multi-logical narrative' in order to explain how shared meaning and knowledge is created collaborative in online communities. ► The article argues that an 'ideal patient' is configured in online patient communities.