All Blog Posts (517)

Why do I have a feeling that my 7 month old daughter is going to use this story http://tinyurl.com/apwxnc5 against me when refusing to eat her brussel sprouts – a Smith Family favorite. Access to info is enlightening but so is making sure children eat their sprouts. As a HC practioner always on the prowl for interesting clinical studies and peer reviewed papers and the almighty google search box has never made it easier – or more entertaining – to…

In the past few years, health IT has become an integral part of healthcare, with policies pushing for adoption and patients pushing for accessibility. It makes sense after all, we use technology in all other aspects of our lives, so why not healthcare?

You can imagine my surprise at the results from the latest survey by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project that showed few consumers use technology to track health,…

As we speed towards the 2013 installment of HIMSS in NOLA I’m attending with the expectation that the ‘industry’ is bombarding clinicians with so much content that they are unable to process, understand and actually do something to improve the quality of care – while naturally reducing the cost.

Seems like the smart phone/personal portable tablet-ish device’s real estate can’t take many more apps of ‘functionality’ if the goal is to improve the care and reduce the cost. From what I…

Having known several people to undergo breast augmentation, the one thing I have heard each of them say is that they wish they would have known what questions to ask. Before you undergo any surgery, especially plastic surgery, you will want…

Imagine leaving the doctor with two new smartphone apps downloaded instead of two bottles of pills prescribed. Today's technology is allowing doctors to suggest smartphone apps instead of defaulting to medication.

Last week's Rock Center with Brian Williams investigated one doctor's vision to use smartphones apps for healing and monitoring patients health. Leading cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol believes the future is with your smartphone improving the doctor patient relationship…

I recently came across a survey by the American College of Physician Executives on how physician leaders are wary of online ratings but are interested in reading what patients have to say. Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me; who wouldn’t be curious about how they are perceived?

The results show that 12 percent of the physician leaders said that…

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the 31^st Annual JP Morgan Conference, where biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies discuss where they've been and where they're going.  Ron Leuty, Reporter for the San Francisco Business Times called it, “The biggest speed-dating event on the biotech calendar. In hotel rooms, cafes and even at art gallery receptions (gasp!), biotech CEOs and business development teams are flirting with each other and their…

It goes without saying that mobile applications of all kinds have gained momentum in the last few years. With that said, there seems to be an even newer wave of mobile applications: the speech-enabled healthcare apps. On those days that you just aren’t feeling well and can’t make it to the doctor’s office for a visit, a healthcare app seems like quite the gift (but only if you really trust your phone).…

There are a few things that I trust my phone to do. While the list gets longer and longer with each app I download, I never thought it could help me detect skin cancer (perhaps I need to spend some more time browsing the app store).  However, after reading an article in today’s The Wall Street Journal, I can honestly say that I will not be using my phone for…

Rock Center with Brian Williams recently reported that even a daily workout regimen cannot undo the damage from sitting all day.  The article states that “Americans sit more than ever before – at work, at school, even at play.” Obesity expert, Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic relates sitting all day to dangerous behavior,…

With more hospitals recognizing the importance and permanence of social media, many are using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook as marketing tools to help build their brand. In fact, according to Mayo Clinic’s Health Care Social Media List, there are already 1,501 nation-wide using a combination of social media channels. With all these hospitals on board with social…

Two-thirds of UK physicians are aware of mobile applications for professional use, according to a recent survey published by healthcare research company, Cagedim.

The study, which surveyed 675 healthcare professionals across a range of specialism's, aimed to identify levels of awareness and usage of mobile applications, the degree of personal and professional use and the extent of recommendations…

With childhood obesity on a dramatic rise in recent years, groups like the American Heart Association are looking into new and innovative ways to help children get in control of their weight before it is too late.

According to a recent study in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, “online communication and social media are an increasing part of our lives and our overall…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced their plan to monitor social media as a way to track the spread of the ordinary cold and possible deadly pandemics.

The project will search for disease-related warning signs by using public information found through Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Accenture won the $3 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security to set up a pilot program that…

In a nutshell, I would argue yes. Case in point, Mashable recently reported the first social network for women with breast cancer, MyBreastCancerTeam – and what a novel thought for a mainstream disease estimated to effect over 226,000 women in the U.S. in 2012 alone. The social network, which we could say is more…

If you haven’t come across the slew of articles or overheard watercooler-chatter about Movember, you mostly are in the minority. They're talking about moustaches. But this post is for the ladies, or shall I say mo sistas.

Movember.com says “a Mo Sista is a woman who loves a Mo. An individual that is…

The Royal College of General Practitioners has published the first version of its social media guidelines for UK medical professionals. The 'Social Media Highway Code' was first issued on 27^th September along with a request for feedback, appropriately enough, on…

Today, Fast Company described new research from scientists who have found a way to utilize DNA to send huge amounts of data between cells. Essentially, this allows them the ability to have one cell give instructions to another.

Now, like we use the Internet and social networks to communicate with one another, scientists could someday “hack” cells to do the same thing.…

As practitioners of healthcare public relations and marketing, we urge everyone (those involved in healthcare and not) to pause and recognize the extraordinary life of Mr. James Burke, the former CEO of Johnson & Johnson who has passed away last week.

For those who only think of Tylenol as a pain medication, let me remind you of one of the worst tampering epidemics in consumer history. In the fall of 1982, seven people died as a result of cyanide laced Tylenol capsules…

Today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) made a significant change. Kraft Foods, part of the DJIA since September 2008, was released from the Average this morning and replaced with—UnitedHealth. A packaged foods company replaced by a healthcare…