This study sets out to investigate the users’ perspective on participating in a Facebook group created for and run by a group of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Data was collected using field observations from a Danish Facebook group for people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and analyzed using an inductive content analysis. The analysis resulted in three themes: (1) Handling sickness in an online community for diabetes, (2) Cultivation of a mutual online diabetes community, and (3) The silent norms for interaction in an online community of diabetes. The investigation points to the Facebook group being useful as a means to handle life with type 1 diabetes. It appears that the experience-based knowledge, which is shared in the group, is just as important as the health professional knowledge.

Keywords: diabetes, Facebook, online, patient experience, field observation