Mark Ford-Langstaff

I am the founder of Diverticulitis Club, an independent patient information website and one of the world's largest online diverticulitis communities, with more than 56,000 members. Over several years, I have analysed thousands of anonymised patient discussions to identify recurring patterns in symptoms, diagnosis, diet, exercise, recovery, mental wellbeing and the day-to-day challenges of living with diverticular disease. This has given me a unique understanding of real-world patient experience that complements published medical guidance and highlights issues that are often under-represented in clinical research. I regularly produce original, data-led articles based on aggregated community insights, covering topics such as food triggers, the impact of heatwaves, healthcare experiences...