The Challenge

The Cancer Support Community (formerly known as “The Wellness Community” and “Gilda’s Club”), is the largest, international non-profit organization dedicated to providing free support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones, wished to translate the success of their Patient Active® model from their fifty-one "brick and mortar" facilities to an online environment. CSC provides in-person services to approximately 350,000 people each year and is part of a collaborative research partnership with Stanford University and the University of California.

Our Solution

Since 2001, DLC Solutions has partnered with CSC to design and produce www.CancerSupportCommunity.org. The Website is widely regarded as the first Website to offer free, professionally moderated online support groups and education programs to people living with cancer and their caregivers. In 2005, we also designed and launched www.Grouploop.org to provide psychological support to teens affected by cancer.As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and cancer care, DLC Solutions and CSC recently released a wealth of new social media features to enhance the community experience.  New features include:

• Upgraded Adobe Flash online support group interface
• Peer-to-peer social networking
• Secure, thematic discussion forums
• Personal blogs
• Video journals
• Webcasts and podcasts
• Instant messaging
• Interactive education modules
• Research tools to monitor symptoms and key quality of life indicators

Today, both Websites attract over 300,000 annual visitors and have provided peer-to-peer and professionally moderated support to thousands of people impacted by cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s Disease, and other chronic illnesses. And, through their research partnership with Stanford University and the University of California at San Francisco, CSC has scientifically demonstrated that online support groups are just as effective as face-to-face groups in reducing depression, increasing zest for life, and improving overall social functioning and quality of life.