This book introduces the field of Health Web Science and presents
methods for information gathering from written social media data. It
explores the availability and utility of the personal medical
information shared on social media platforms and determines ways to
apply this largely untapped information source to healthcare systems and
public health monitoring. Introducing an innovative concept for
integrating social media data with clinical data, it addresses the
crucial aspect of combining experiential data from social media with
clinical evidence, and explores how the variety of available social
media content can be analyzed and implemented. The book tackles a range
of topics including social media's role in healthcare, the gathering of
shared information, and the integration of clinical and social media
data. Application examples of social media for health monitoring, along
with its usage in patient treatment are also provided. The book also
considers the ethical and legal issues of gathering and utilizing social
media data, along with the risks and challenges that must be considered
when integrating social media data into healthcare choices. With an
increased interest internationally in E-Health, Health 2.0, Medicine 2.0
and the recent birth of the discipline of Web Science, this book will be
a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners investigating this
emerging topic.