About the OLP Support Group

The basic purpose of support groups is to provide mutual aid and emotional support for people who share the same predicament. In this article, Dr. Burkhart discusses various aspects by which patients of OLP can benefit from mutual support and encouragement.

The philosophy of the site is to provide educational materials and individual support to patients with the disorder through a self-help concept. The individual patient is perceived as a member of the larger group that comprises the worldwide oral lichen planus patient population.

Mission:

• To serve as a resource for patients, address concerns/questions and to offer emotional support individually as well as through a group effort.
• To serve as a central educational materials resource for both patients and practitioners by providing accurate, current information and promoting research efforts.
• To serve as a referral system world-wide for other university based dental schools and facilities that are knowledgeable in the treatment of oral lichen planus.

Self-help groups provide several key functions:

• Participants receive information about the disease through printed educational materials, research articles, referrals to facilities within their area and counseling.
• Self-help groups provide a sense of community for the participants. And, patients establish a social support system with others who share similar characteristics and concerns
• Self-help groups serve as a central resource for the patients and the practitioners. An established self-help group is concerned with the sharing of current information and the continuation of research efforts. All emails are answered within a forty-eight hour period and referrals worldwide are made when needed. Dr Burkhart and Dr. Rees host international discussion sessions with experts in oral medicine/pathology and the transcripts are posted on the site. The site has had approximately 300,000 visitors worldwide.

About Self-Help Research

Research on self-help groups has shown positive conclusions about patient recovery rates and has provided insight on the social and psychological benefits to the patient. Self-help programs provide several key functions:

1. Participants receive information about the disease through printed educational materials, research articles, referrals to facilities within their area and counseling.
2. Self-help groups provide a sense of community for the participants.
3. Self-help groups serve as a central resource for the patients and the practitioners. An established self-help group is concerned with the sharing of current information and the continuation of research efforts.
4. Patients establish a social support system with others who share similar characteristics and concerns.

Confidentiality:

All material received on our web site is treated as confidential and is not shared with any third parties. Only those directly involved with the web site have access to the e-mails, addresses or any other personal information. Both Dr. Terry Rees and/or Dr. Nancy Burkhart review and answer e-mails directly.

In the event that an e-mail is shared with another party, such as a healthcare provider, permission is first obtained from the person who contacts us. Information in the form of e-mails and surveys are moved into separate files and treated confidentially.

Advertising Policy:

The IOLPSG is a non-profit organization and we do not operate through advertising or promotion of any specific products. Any products that are recommended are based solely on proven data of the success of the product and its use in the treatment of oral lichen planus. Our recommendations are subject to change based on new research and on new products that may become available or those that may assist more fully in treatment. We do not accept advertising or sponsorship of any dental products in exchange for advertising or promotion of a particular product.