Appealing to the Crowd: A Qualitative Study of Crowdfunding for Healthcare Costs

This is a mixed-methods, multi-phase project to investigate the use of online crowdfunding platforms to cover the costs of healthcare in the US. The study aims to better understand the contexts of austerity that drive people towards crowdfunding platforms, the platform dynamics which in part determine access and success for different users, the differential outcomes which impact access to care for the many users who now turn to crowdfunding to address acute and chronic health needs. Throughout, the project explicitly focuses on disparities, both in terms of how crowdfunding is fueled by, and fueling, social and health inequities. Primary collaborators are Lauren Berliner and Jin-Kyu Jung.