Network Ends Isolation for AIDS Patients

CLEVELAND —  For Arlene, a computer network linking her with other AIDS victims and medical professionals was, at times, her only connection to the world.

Although she had the support of her family, they were often so busy taking care of her pain that they didn’t have time to help with emotional problems.

“Basically, when I started on the network, I was often so ill I couldn’t leave the house or even walk,” said Arlene, a 37-year-old AIDS patient who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used.

“Getting on the computer system and talking to others who had the same problems made me realize I wasn’t alone and the feelings I had were not abnormal,” she said.

Giving emotional support was one of the reasons behind ComputerLink, the result of a 3-year study that set up the country’s first computer network for AIDS victims.

“We realized that there was a need for information on AIDS and for support services to people who were often unable or unwilling to take part in existing support groups,” said Patricia Flatley Brennan, a professor of nursing and systems engineering at Case Western Reserve University, who directed the study.