Online Community - Improving Health Outcomes?

In response to the discussion question relating to community and improvements in health, I immediately thought about how I have turned to the internet for many of my own health needs. People are increasingly turning to the internet for information on health topics, and self-diagnosis and self-help solutions for health problems are on the rise.  The article, "How Internet Technologies Facilitate a Sense of Community Following a Major Health Incident", discusses these issues.  While this article pays a great deal of attention to people who turn to the internet for social support after diagnosis with a health condition, I found it particularly interesting how community could be created through discussion forums, etc.  I wonder if having access to internet sites that offer health information can lead to improvements in health?  Could this access also affect health outcomes for historically under-served populations?  Perhaps reaching out online can replace shortcomings in the communities in our cities.