Archive | August, 2010

A link between DTC ads, genetic pre-disposition, and healthy decisions

By on August 30, 2010 in Health Consumers, Health engagement, Health literacy, Pharmaceutical, Popular culture and health, Retail health

Detractors of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTC) contend that the ads promote consumers asking for pills they don’t often need, medicalize normal life conditions (such as menopause and sleeplessness), and drive up unnecessary medical spending. A team of researchers now finds that DTC can play an important, positive role in motivating health consumers to adopt healthy behaviors. “The [...]

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Physicians stick with professional health content sites online in 2010

By on August 27, 2010 in Health care marketing, Health social networks, Internet and Health, Physicians

The fact that physicians access health information digitally is not big news; but, where they’re going online may surprise some health marketers who are shifting educational and promotional resources to online portals.   4 in 5 physicians access health care professional sites, the most visited online sources for physician seeking health information online; these sites get nearly one-half of [...]

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Pharma-economics: retail drug prices rice, and consumers react

By on August 26, 2010 in Bio/life sciences, Health care marketing, Health Consumers, Health social networks, Pharmaceutical, Pharmacy, Retail health

Two reports, from Consumers Union and the AARP, put the pharmaceutical industry in the spotlight again this week, and not in a good way. First, Consumer Reports polled U.S. adults who take prescription drugs and found that 39% took some action to reduce costs. 27% didn’t take the Rx as prescribed: 16% didn’t fill the prescription, 12% took [...]

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Can health IT transform the U.S. economy? The White House thinks so

By on August 25, 2010 in Administrative simplification, Electronic health records, Health care information technology, Health Economics, Health regulation, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, aka ‘stimulus funds’) is investing $100 billion worth of U.S. taxpayer dollars in projects meant to transform the American economy. $20-some billion of these funds are being earmarked for health information technology, which the White House sees as part of a “platform for private sector innovation” in a report [...]

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So many health apps: is this a Field of Dreams?

By on August 24, 2010 in Health care information technology, Health Consumers, Health engagement, Health social networks, Internet and Health, Mobile health, Popular culture and health, Prevention and wellness

“If you build it, he will come,” Shoeless Joe whispers to Ray in the baseball class movie, Field of Dreams. Ray then takes a leap of faith, building a baseball field on top of his corn fields there in the middle of Iowa, and miracles happen. Will it take a miracle for people to adopt [...]

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