Advertising and Health

Image of American pharmacy Chelsea Girl .

According To a report of the research group eMarketer , Which Provides that the Growth of online media advertising will grow 10.6% this year with 10.000 million dollars and will Reach box 15.200 million in 2014. This, It Seems a lot, only 4% of Represents Online Ad Spending in the U.S., and is Also a Small Percentage of the 205 000 million dollars Spent That pharmaceutical companies in marketing in 2008.

The hesitancy to devote resources to this medium is due to the Uncertainty about the future of the FDA regulation on online advertising. Drug companies are very tightly Regulated with Respect to information about That Can Give Their drugs, failing to report off-label Benefits, or Providing information biased That Does Not Take Into account the Risks of consumption. However, if someone on a forum or a Facebook page, Explains His experience of using off-label drug: the pharmaceutical company is responsible for That content?

The FDA is Preparing Regulations That purport to Regulate the marketing messages from pharmaceutical companies, Including Those in social networks.

Via Wall Street Journal

Mobile phones, the last generation or Both smartphones Such as "whole life" used to Send and Receive messages and calls, are Emerging as the most promising tool for the Effective Implementation of simple technology and health care.

The project "Mobile Therapy", a concept design collaborative Effort Between Intel and dramas. Margaret Morris

The patient (the user But healthy But Also worried about health historical) Can Be Carried in your pocket, Through a more or less affordable devices to complete medical history, to track data Such as Levels of pollen in the air, or blood STI stress tolerance sugar level. But Also we share this information with Other Patients or send them to your doctor. Likewise, this patient dog Receive new mobile phone in your appointment reminders or take medication. These are just some generic examples of the use of mobile technology in health -related issues. The Interest of users of These young doctors Have in Their pockets is more Evident Than When We Consider That health has Become the second rank Among the most downloaded iPhone applications.

Lifescan, That the application connects the meter of Johnson & Johnson with the iPhone That stores and managed the Measurement of Blood Sugar Levels of Diabetic Patients.

A doctor in your pocket
The report The Mobile Personal Health Record , conducted by consulting firm Deloitte and published last Thursday, spoke of how the ubiquitous mobile phone dog forever change the health sector, as it Affects Patients, But Also to health personnel, caregivers and the pharmaceutical industry, Which? In These Applications Can you add a plus of service and connection with Patients. The report recommended concise and accounts for the next launch and deployment of These technologies Increaser-through functionality and Capabilities of smartphones and Their wide Dissemination (and are no longer a luxury) Also Supported by the Concern for health as a great contemporary value. And points to Applications linked to obesity prevention ( as MyLife of Microsoft ), Postoperative monitoring and care at a distance (Such as technologies for caregivers of Closed By Network ) or the introduction of Sensors That Can Provide data on the Presence of pollen and allergens in the air, very useful tool for Allergic Patients.

The (new) power of SMS
But what about the vast Majority of People For Whom the Internet is a luxury? The role of mobile in the health sector is taking place and Reach Globally all Countries, Including Developing ones.
"The mobile Internet is more ubiquitous," says the report Pharma Ernst & Young 3.0 . According To British consultancy document, published last May, During the Past year sent SMS More Than 2.5 billion worldwide and There are four billion phone lines in the world. The humble text message in Developing Countries Can Become affordable at the equivalent of all the sophisticated systems described above. Is That And while only 25% of the World Population has access to the Internet (Surprised? We, too), the mobile phone Reaches 60 % of Those Who inhabit this planet.

Although it is Also a Way to Reach the lower classes in Europe and America. Or it shows the project Text4Baby Launched by the U.S. Government to Prevent Child Mortality (in Fact, Have One Of The Highest rates in the Developer World) In Which information is sent free of charge by SMS on child care. This initiative is Also an excellent example of the kind of Synergies Which We must be getting used: Promoted by Governments, can health projects, telephone operators, giants of the advertising and communication by companies in the pharmaceutical industry increasingly willing to seek new and Different Traveling companions.

It's that simple. Help Remedies is an Aid for small everyday health problems, such Presented in a very cuca, fun and close. A portfolio with strips of futuristic materials, sleeping pills, Headaches, allergies and Almost now.

Image of two products Help Remedies , with historical Distinctive minimalist design.

But no, Help ™ is something else.
His vision, minimalist forms, witty, Ethical, ecological and Socially Committed, That is a unique cocktail makes Their products in an experience That Goes Beyond healing, it is supposed to effectiveness.

Some examples of Their attitude:

- The packs, small boxes Delicately designed, are compostable. Do not use plastic from oil, But a biodegradable corn resin and recycled paper. Here We Can See the demo in your own photo gallery, tribute to
Man Ray included.

- All products include a form of promotion, a sales pitch or a reflection That Surprising breaks the topic or in Itself ( concerts, and noisy assonants, testimonials of humanoids, pages fetish for scarves, nannies , etc). Beside Providing rational arguments on the That contains the Wording Improvements.

- 5% Of the purchase price Is Intended to Provide Health Care Without health insurance to people.

- The home has a hidden game, linked to the order of the packs, Which links to a foundation to Aid People Suffering from OCD . Interesting Way to Express Solidarity With their cause.

- "Bored?" Is a section of the Site Where You Can Find help in your personal boredom with a gallery of very creative answers or make a shirt Expressing the kind of help You Need, from the banal to the most sensitive Intimately. It Also has a space to talk about the Needs of Each and help find creative solutions.

Overall, the brand value is Transmitted in distinct and complementary stages, building a new position and That at no time is Expressed in a direct, or Through a baseline or similar. It's Almost a lifestyle That is contemporary and casual consumer friendly approach, Since the Understanding and Complicity. Because ... Is There Anyone Who Does Not Need some help?

An image of Audi's interactive installation, made on the occasion of the new edition of the London Design Festival .

From 16 to September 23 Celebrated in London is one of the festivals of reference in the world of design and branding, the London Design Festival. This year again we wonder, we wonder, branding trends Being more angry, more hot, on the street in the middle of Trafalgar Square.
The London Design Festival has commissioned the duo of artists Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram to design the installation in Trafalgar Square this year ENTITLE outrace .
The installation invite the public to take control of eight robots of the Audi production line. Visitors to Trafalgar Square and the global audience the dog interact with online facilities via the project page .

A Powerful LED light on the top of Each robot Allows the light of the dog be remotely controlled robots by viandandantes and online users. By Registering on the site www.outrace.org users via a laptop or mobile phone dog or direct the beam of light Emerging from the tentacles of the robots. In Addition, Each robot, Each beam of light recreational That line with the text users send via web or mobile. In That facility Have Placed cameras capture the visual interactivity That Create a level with the light users and texts and shared on the website of the piece to, in turn, be shared on social network.

Can a health mark Entering this beautiful way of life of people? That is, Without Being intrusive, beautifying the urban landscape, Providing people a way to express Themselves and Their make mark on one of the largest public squares in the city ...

Twitter pharmaceutical company Roche, one of the examples of industry practices in this popular format microblog.

According To Cool Insights research consultancy, in 2009 Some 800.000 Spanish Were Twitter users. This figure Represents 9% of People who use the Internet in Spain. Globally, Twitter in January 2010 Reached 73 million users. Compared to January 2009 Twitter Grew by 1105% . At this rate of Growth May Soon Become a true social network are today That Others Such as Facebook.

73% of users of the microblogging format in Spain has a job related to new technologies. It Is What Is Called an early adopter, the Forefront of Consumption, Takes an Early Retirement Which products linked to innovation. The user type is an adult, about 33 years and That "Twit" on issues related to the professional field, oftener from your mobile phone. All These features make this medium a channel of communication for Potential brands.

But pharmaceutical brands are exploring Also Those Possibilities? Good laboratory practices Such as open newsroom Menarini , Roche and Boehringer and suggestions to build brand in Twitter are Analyzed in my article published in the June issue of PMFarma (forthcoming, of course, you Also on Twitter ) And What You Can download from this link .

On Thursday July 15 we Held the first conference on health, communication and social networks from organizes That Innu in Collaboration with BES La Salle . This meeting Was Intended to bring together Different Professionals in the health sector and discuss the Possibilities open up in the network for Companies, Professionals and, of course, Patients.

Opening of the Early Days of Health, communication and social networks. From left to right: Gemma Vallet , Ramón Ollé , Xavier Lorenz and Fernando de la Rosa .

And we Could not Be Happier with the result. With the full house and a FEW days before STI conclusion, the Board Auditorium of the college welcome more Than six hours of wonderful papers and no less remarkable to public issues, from campus or from Twitter , was extremely active.
Optimism and clear ideas
The event, described as "impeccable" by one of the speakers, open with a welcome by Ramon Ollé, president of the Business Engineering School La Salle , Followed by a presentation by Fernando de la Rosa , with a casual tone, Called to invest in social media, thinking, yes, the MOST Appropriate Strategies for Our brand in. The title table Influencers in the health sector included a Successful Presentation of project Imma Grau forumclinic , a series of forums WHERE Patients These raises questions about chronic illness to the moderators Their (all doctors) But Also Given advice and emotional support between' bond them. Behind her, Miguel Angel Máñez , health manager and active blogger, shower an overview of online Initiatives Developed from the health system in Spain while Victor Puig Gave Some Strategies for managing the good image of the company in the network.
Infatuation 2.0
Monica Moro and Montse Carrasco , the Menarini Group , Explain Their experiences in the use of Web 2.0 tools, Especially the microblogging service Twitter Both Ongoing training in management and communication with the media and press. Gemma Vallet, director of online branding Some of Innu Anticipated the trends for the coming years of presence in the network of companies, while Albert Lorente, online brand reputation of this agency analyst, spoke of how we measure the parameters That These actions lead to change on traditional advertising: the Influence and consumer engagement. The paper closed the day the lawyer technology law and José Manuel Pérez Marzabal Comparing the Spanish and American Legislative models in a matter of drug advertising and CONCLUDE with A Few simple tips: Should Not do in the network and Beyond Do Not Emphasize, above all, Transparency .
Jumping final and professional moderation
Among the Conclusions to be drawn from the Various presentations and questions from the public Highlighted the Opportunities created by the final leap to 2.0 Platforms and forms of communication based on social media of all actors Within the sector health and, of course, the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, These actions must be Supported by Rigorous and Relevant content and count on the moderation of Health Professionals and Health Communicators Who specialize in this environment. If You Can Not Attend Both presentations of the speakers as the monitoring Was done on Twitter, can be found on page Slideshare to Innu .

Until very recently, The Ability to Publicly Assess the Benefits of a drug, STI Efficacy, adverse reactions or interactions, Was Almost Exclusively in the hands of doctors and Pharmacists. Although today Begins to seem outrageous, it is the voice of That Certain Patients have Been very little Heard of When considering the pros and cons of drug Treatments.

New technologies and social networks are Changing Especially this picture. Patients are increasingly Better Informed and in the first place many turn to Google to Disclose Their Any matter Relating to That of Their health or loved ones.

An excellent example of this trend is unstoppable RateADrug . It is a social platform, barely a year born and a half, Allowing Each patient to Assess Their Treatment, rate it, compare it to Other forms of therapy and Receive Information Provider by the independent pharmaceutical Markets That the drug company. The comments of Other Patients taking the same product and offer real Consumers direct experience of Others Who Suffer the same disease and living first-hand the effects of Treatment prescribed by your doctor.

A collaborative space with information That Can be very valuable at the individual level But Also for the pharmaceutical industry as it presents an invaluable Opportunity for companies to learn from the final consumer and Apply this Knowledge to Develop Better products and to Improve Both Provider information to doctors Patients and themselves.

It Is Not as Clear As It Seems. In power: what is natural and What is artificial? Pasteurized milk: is it natural or artificial?, A dye Whose name starts with an E Followed by a number is it natural or artificial? These are just two examples of cases That Could, at least, to surprise the consumer, the real Uncle Tom Labeling rules and the ubiquitous health CLAIMS, go more confused than ever.

Soft drinks in a Japanese supermarket in a colorful image of love ♡ janine

A Few This raises questions for the food industry. Natural Should be accepted by What Is Perceived as Such by the Population? Or, the responsible thing is to stick to the Legislation is Unclear On These issues (plus Different In Each country and Often Restrictive) ?

A Recent survey by Coca-Cola conducter've Shown That Consumers have, According To research, "a more holistic view" that the Authorities of the concept "natural", based on arguments on extraction techniques and Processes away from the very criteria of the Population mean. Thus, Some ingredients derived from plants and fruits Such as orange juice concentrate, are "artificial", with considerable damage to soft drink companies. Similarly, smoking, baking or distilling Processes are considered "natural" versus Pasteurization or hydrogenation. In Any case, the industry has Positively welcome to study where, for the first time, is the Consumers Who Have Their Own criteria for something impossible to distinguishe the natural from the artificial.

The struggle of American Society Against obesity and Its Health Consequences (diabetes, increaser cardiovascular disease and a long and Known so on) and on the economy (with a medical expense of $ 150,000 million in diseases linked to overweight) Has Its foundations in Changing children's habits. With one third of American Children are overweight or obese, Barack Obama is the change in Their eating habits from an Improved school meals on Their Political agenda, Supplement by Educational Programs That Promote physical activity as Let's Move , led by the First Lady .

The intention of Incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias is to measure Americans Against the menus to the date, day in, day out, seem drawn from the menus of a (bad) fast food chain of the 80s. The Consequences of this diet high in meat, sugar and fat extends Also today on the health of more and more Children, Since the Percentage of Students Who eat in school has Risen in Recent years. The long hours of His parents and the economic crisis are aggravating the situation as Noted .

Three examples of school menus listed on the blog Fed up with school lunch

Uncle Tom well-intentioned actions of the Obama administration, it Appears That These Changes are slow to be Imposed Nationally, and Educators begin to Despair. This is the case of the teacher Who hides under the nickname Mrs Q, Who Has Been Dedicated to photograph and publish in a blog serve simple menus That Their Students. Under the name of Fed up with school lunch ("Tired of school meals"), the Aim Is to show how unbalanced the main menus and the Reasons for high rates of childhood obesity. Because , Apparently, These Things many schools teach dog to the kids, but not healthy habits.

Fed up with school lunch is just one example of the Renewed Concern of Citizens for food and health, Which has-been found on the Internet (Through simple and affordable tools) not only a speaker, But a source of alliances and networks of users. This Powerful blog has Become a forum for discussion on this issue and, Uncle Tom as a single experiment starting, you eat to Accommodate the complaints of "other menus" Unhealthy Equally across the country.

No one will throw Their Hands in Their head if we say That health communication (as Probably Happens In Other sectors) Lives change moments of the Influence of social media. Whether in general social networks like Facebook, or specific meeting places for Patients and Professionals, the network hosts all kinds of conversations about health.

To Understand These new scenarios, ITS dynamics and to discuss key companies in the sector, the Innu are Preparing a conference in Collaboration with the business school BES La Salle for the next 15 July.

Under the heading of health, communication and social networking, the conference will open with a presentation on Technological and social transformations sponsored That Have These Changes on the Internet, with the help of Fernando de la Rosa , entrepreneur, expert in communication and marketing.

The roundtable The influencers in the social network of health, for ITS part, will include Representatives of Some of the online Initiatives linked to this sector in Our country, as Imma Grau, the director of platform for chronically ill Forum forumclínic and Máñez Miguel Angel , That Will Give voice to the active health blogosphere. For historical part Victor Puig , journalist and director of Reputation and Content Overalia agency, will address changes file in the media.

The laboratory experiences Menarini in the field of communication 2.0, open the evening, focusing on the particularities of the pharmaceutical industry on the Internet. That aspect is the question Precisely That Gemma Vallet, director of online branding of Innu and professor of BES LaSalle, FOLLOW by a talk on the Measurement results of the actions of the marks, by Albert Lorente, online analyst for the agency. The day will CONCLUDE with a presentation by José Manuel Pérez Marzabal, lawyer and law firm technology Projetcs MTN .

Attendance is free, But seating is limited. The full program, schedule and inscriptions, will find them in the Event page at La Salle .

... Forgiveness and for a good cause, Though. The Canadian Association of Colorectal Cancer Prevention has Launched the campaign Get your butt seen ("Teach your ass") That AIMS to Encourage check-ups in a casual and like the derriere of users, NOT Explored to date.

As always, the Difference is in the form Rather Than Substance. Beyond this single spot, as a teaser SERVES Which, Whose freshness directs us to a microsite Where We Can Intervene with More Than fun pictures, hoping That with the dog Dissemination of this message Save Lives. Even the loading Entertains Choosing the waiting time while the picture to send, with Devastating crucial message about the Importance of early diagnosis.

The campaign FOLLOWS to demystifying That trend, from my point of view, NOT trivialize the problem. Through a daring creativity on the message to the target, in the language of the street. Humor is a Powerful tool to select and change Behaviors That Can Also be done Effectively, No Doubt in the field of health.

Closer, the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona has Also made available to the public a series of Practical tools with the same as the Canadian campaign Objective: the Prevention . In this case, it is a brochure INFORMS That people with an increaser That Risk of this disease Receive a letter will soon at home with Which They Can collect from your pharmacy a kit for this test.

Two Different Approaches (mood Against Certain pedagogical vocation and informative) for the same goal: colorectal cancer prevention.

Malaria kills one child every 30 seconds, TB Every 15 seconds a person and HIV / AIDS as Every 13 seconds one person. Effective Fight against These three pandemics Was one of the major eight Millennium Development Goals ADOPTED by 189 Countries in 2000, in the context of the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations. UNITAID and the Millennium Foundation Was created in 2006 under the Auspice UN to Promote Access to treatment of These diseases in Developing Countries Through Innovative financing systems and sustainable. since then, 93 Countries Have benefit, Who Have Received More Than 11 million has Received Significant Treatments and support from foundations as Relevant as That of Clinton OR that of Gates.

In 2010, These Organizations Have Launched MASSIVEGOOD , a Global Social Movement That Gives travelers the option of making a micro-contribution of € 2 to help Achieve a Healthier world Every time you buy a plane ticket, book a hotel room or rent a car.

In Spain, was launched last June 1 and social networks are being their best ally. MASSIVEGOOD already has over 5,700 followers on Facebook and 2,000 in Twitter and has the support of music stars and sports front. The video of the Spanish team by changing the "red" of Spain for "Multicolor" of Massivegood has already been seen by over 14,000 people on YouTube.

A good example of the potential of social networks to promote altruistic strategies that can contribute to global health.

This week has seen the light Seeker Health is an excellent application for Facebook Designed to help diabetic change Their Patients to Improve your lifestyle and health.

Health Seeker Provides That tool is a real value to Those using it:

- Is Equipped with high quality content tailored to the language of ordinary people

- Helps You Set specific and achievable Objectives That Can Be Shared

- Promote positive Reinforcement Through a points system and awards

- Power Among participants collective motivation, WHO share Successes and Difficulties During The Process

- Thanks to ITS design and very user friendly game

- Is Integrated Into The most popular and more global social network: Facebook

This is an initiative of the Diabetes Hands Foundation , an organization of patients, since 2006, has supported more than 200 000 diabetic patients through their own social network and has Spanish version: estudiabetes.org (with almost 9,000 members assets). The project also helped physicians Joslin Diabetes Center (affiliated to the University of Harvard) and Germanic pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.

In the coming months we will assess the degree of acceptance of this application (judgments can patients), but has all the ingredients to become a reference in a case of successful collaboration between patients, health institutions and the pharmaceutical industry through social networks.

HealthSeeker: a healthy Facebook game from Diabetes Hands Foundation on Vimeo .

The benefits of communities and social networks of patients are beyond doubt: they offer support and information to patients with the help of people who suffer (or suffered) similar experiences, mitigates the loneliness of the chronically ill and their caregivers or offer a dose of optimism in complicated cases. Through communication among peers, patients are both practical information and emotional solace in the social environment ... but also transmit data that may be critical to medical research. The reaction to treatment, disease cycles, the onset of symptoms or mood changes are dumped on a voluntary basis, freely and often, in real time on these forums and communities.

A popular image of the site Patients Like Me , which shows the evolution of the symptoms of a group of patients. Via Infosthetics

In its health department, the newspaper New York Times last week raised precisely what happens when personal information flows freely through these sites. Data, moreover, that in the real world would be subject to the physician-patient confidentiality. Thus, the popular Patients like me not only serves as a meeting point for those who suffer some type of ailment. The site, according to the American newspaper, has developed a business model from the sale of health information of its users. With more than 65,000 members from all types of backgrounds on their profiles that account for demographic data but also the state of development of their condition or what treatments have continued, the service can be seen as a valuable source of information for researchers, laboratories and professional pharmaceutical marketing.

Obviously, the paper also echoes the ethical implications raised by this use of the data. "Patients share their experiences with the hope to collaborate on best treatments, no more effective marketing strategies," reads the article.

What then should be the role of pharmaceutical companies in these contexts? How should they play? The transparency of companies as a primary condition obvious to participate in platforms ("create?) Where the patient can feel free and safe to talk about their problems, accompanied by other patients and recommended by professionals. But the community is the responsibility of moderating the dialogues and manage data of its users. Or perhaps, as James points Heywood of Patients Like Me in that article, "The aim is for companies to learn from patients, not to teach patients about the firms' products."

“Todos los días, cada minuto, nace un niño con el virus del VIH. Debemos acabar con esta situación. Ahora podemos conseguirlo” Así reza el claim de la actual campaña del Fondo Mundial de Lucha contra el SIDA, la Tuberculosis y la Malaria . Esta asociación de alcance global tiene por objetivo, de acuerdo con su web, incrementar los recursos destinados a la lucha contra esas tres enfermedades y dirigirlos a las zonas más necesitadas.

Una iniciativa que presenta grandes retos y cuyo propósito, en esta ocasión, es dar a conocer que ya existe un tratamiento para prevenir la transmisión maternoinfantil del virus. La organización trabaja para que todas las madres tengan acceso a esta medicación y conseguir que en 2010 ningún niño nazca con VIH.

La campaña se basa en excelentes piezas, como el vídeo que abre este post, desarrolladas por las más prestigiosas productoras de animación (algunas de ellas ganadoras de Oscars) que se irán divulgando próximamente.

Pese a tener una web llamada Born HIV Free , que explica a fondo el papel del Fondo Mundial y los objetivos de esta campaña, el proyecto cuenta con la vinculación a una celebrity , Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, que asegura su difusión mediante relaciones públicas. Un despliegue de medios espectacular, que esperamos y deseamos que consiga su propósito.

Nuestra edad cardiovascular pueder ser mucho más elevada que la cronológica. Eso se afirmaba esta misma semana en el Wall Street Journal Digital Network .

“La edad que uno tiene es la edad de sus arterias” (Thomas Sydenham, médico inglés, 1624-1689), una afirmación que no sólo continúa vigente sino que está de más actualidad que nunca, puesto que los hábitos higiénico-dietéticos son cada vez más perjudiciales para nuestro corazón.

Aunque no veamos nuestras arterias, podemos calcular su edad. En la web de la World Heart Federation está disponible una herramienta específica para ello. La idea es que sirva para incentivarnos a cambiar ciertos hábitos, como dejar el tabaco u optar por una comida más sana, ya que esta calculadora nos permite ver cómo puede mejorar la edad de nuestro corazón con pequeños cambios en nuestro estilo de vida.

Imagen de la herramienta de la World Heart Federation que permite conocer la edad de nuestro corazón.

Puedes ver la edad de tu corazón con la calculadora que se adjunta.

Juventud arterial, ¡divino tesoro!

Hace escasos días, Yahoo!Health , el buscador de salud de Yahoo! ha presentado importantes novedades dirigidas a satisfacer las necesidades de sus más de 11 millones de usuarios. Se trata de un nuevo intento de liderar este mercado frente a Google, que por el momento, ya tenor de lo que podemos encontrar en Google Health , sigue buscando la fórmula mágica con dudodso éxito.  Las nuevas prestaciones de Yahoo!Health se centran en tres sistemas de búsqueda muy completos sobre los tres items que seguramente interesan más al consumidor: síntomas, fármacos y médicos. Entre las nuevas herramientas, sorprende Pill Finder , que permite identificar medicamentos a partir de sus características externas  (color, forma, signos externos, …). Quizás sea una nueva forma de ahorrar en gasto farmacéutico al poder “recuperar” aquella cápsula granate abandonada en un cajón de la mesilla de noche y usarla para la indicación correspondiente, aunque no sé si va a resultar muy segura…

Todo este nuevo paquete de novedades lo suministra Healthline Inc., proveedor líder en contenidos de salud en EEUU que nació en 1999 bajo el nombre de YourDoctor.com. Lo curioso del asunto es que Healthline Inc. posee su propia plataforma online de salud y no hace falta ser muy hábil para darse cuenta al primer vistazo de que el nuevo Yahoo!Health es prácticamente idéntico a Healthline.com . Deberemos seguir esperando a que Yahoo! aporte verdadero valor añadido para que pueda convertirse en un auténtico referente en salud. Quizás lo haga en el futuro, aprovechando el enorme potencial de sus más de cien mil grupos activos sobre salud, como dice Matthew Holt en su blog Health 2.0.

El té posee propiedades vehiculizadas por la teína y la teanina que se traducen en una mejora de la atención y, a su vez, en la disminución de la ansiedad por estrés. Una combinación de efectos que bien podría ser generadora de inspiración y de creatividad.  La inspiración que necesitó Lalo Schifrin para componer la famosa banda sonora de la conocida serie de los 60 Misión: Imposible o la creatividad de los que han ideado y realizado esta impecable campaña que comunica de forma elegante y emotiva los valores de Lipton.

por DDB París

Un artículo publicado por la American Medical Association en su revista on-line Amednews.com se hace eco de una ponencia que tuvo lugar en la reunión anual del American College of  Physicians de abril de 2010 donde el Dr. Haidet y el Dr. Onady propusieron que los médicos tuvieran en cuenta y utilizaran el jazz para mejorar la comunicación con sus pacientes.

La necesidad de estar preparados para improvisar frente a  manifestaciones inesperadas de la enfermedad del paciente, así como saber escucharle para averiguar todos los aspectos de su dolencia y pensar en cada uno de los implicados en el problema a la hora de tomar decisiones, hacen que la entrevista del médico con su paciente presente múltiples similitudes con el jazz. Una mezcla de individualidad y sentido del conjunto que, de aplicarla, le permitiría armonizar mejor su interacción con el enfermo y sus familiares y haría que el paciente participara en mayor medida, y se sintiera más implicado, en su proceso de curación.

The American Festival for the Arts Jazz Combo at Methodist Hospital

Una aplicación creada muy recientemente por el Smithsonian  National Museum of Natural History , disponible gratuitamente para iPhone y Android con el nombre MEanderthal, permite recrear tu propia imagen o la de tus amigos como si fueras un hombre de Neanderthal, un homo floresiensis u otra especie de homínido. Además, ofrece datos antropométricos e información sobre su (tu) hábitat y costumbres. Una herramienta educativa y, realmente, divertida.

La evolución de Twitter como red social basada en el microblogging parece imparable. Los últimos datos así lo certifican: más de105 millones de usuarios registrados, 180 millones de visitas al mes, 300.000 nuevos usuarios al día,…

Estamos ante una herraminenta fascinante y,a su vez, con alto potencial adictivo que puede ser de gran ayuda para todos los que nos movemos en el sector de la salud. Twitter facilta, como ningún otro medio lo había hecho antes, las relaciones y la colaboración entre profesionales de la salud, pacientes, periodistas de salud, instituciones, industria farmacéutica y comunicadores especializados en el ámbito del healthcare. La otra gran faceta de esta red social es la oportunidad que nos brinda a todos para poder estar al día (o mejor dicho, al segundo) en todo lo que acontece en nuestro sector.

El problema, cada vez más acuciante, es seleccionar y digerir tanta información. Hace escasamente una semana, descubrí The Health Tweeder , un site que facilita enormemente esta labor ya que funciona como una especie de hub que ordena los tweets por especialidad en un formato muy “friendly”.  Más que recomendable.

vía paulatraver

La Cucina Italiana es la publicación decana ( nació en 1929) y la más reputada sobre gastronomía y cultura alimentaria en Italia.  Su website , activo desde 1997, es un sitio de referencia para los incondicionales de la cocina mediterránea y, especialmente, de las exquisiteces que nos regala la rica y saludable cocina italiana. Tiene una relevante presencia en Facebook y Twitter y, entre otros muchos recursos, nos ofrecen un gran variedad de sabrosísimas recetas. En definitiva: prestigio, notoriedad, servicio, adaptación a los nuevos medios, y…una esencia (la “cucina”) que nadie discute. ¿A que daría para una campaña de autobombo?

Aunque no lo parezca, estamos a las puertas del verano y se inicia el periodo del año de mayor exposición solar, con los  beneficios y riesgos que comporta para nuestra salud. La American Cancer Society , preocupada por la alta incidencia de cáncer de piel en EEUU (más de 1.000.000 de casos al año) ha lanzado una campaña preventiva alertando de los peligros de una excesiva exposición a los rayos UV donde ofrece consejos sobre cómo autoexplorarse la piel para detectar cambios que pudieran ser susceptibles de una enfermedad maligna. El objetivo es conseguir una detección precoz, un tratamiento más eficaz y una mayor supervivencia.

Cada vez con más frecuencia aparecen regulaciones que trabajan de forma coherente por la salud pública, en este caso la de los más pequeños y por lo tanto más vulnerables.

A nadie que tenga hijos se le escapa el poder del “pester power” ,o “pedir con insistencia” y cómo algunas marcas nos colocan a los padres, más a menudo de lo que desearíamos, en dilemas fatigosos entre la solución fácil y la oportunidad para seguir educando. La tentación está ahí ya veces cuesta…

Por eso creo que debería ser muy bien recibida la iniciativa de que las marcas no puedan proponer menús poco recomendables, desde el punto de vista nutricional (más de 485 calorías o más de 600mg de sodio, en este caso), asociados a juguetes o regalos de alto poder de insistencia.

California County Wants To Take The Toy Out Of Your Happy Meal

Estaría bien que la reacción de la industria fuera positiva y constructiva ante este condicionante. A todos nos gusta que nuestros hijos jueguen y lo pasen bien, pero si además eso se complementa con una alimentación claramente saludable, el beneficio será doble.

A pesar de todo, la responsabilidad última en la alimentación de los pequeños siempre es de los padres, no de la industria. Hay que saber elegir, aunque… ¡Viva las ensaladas de fruta con juguetes de regalo!

More info:
Santa Clara County: Supervisors ban toys with fast-food meals.

Una aplicación para iPhone e iPod desarrollada por el computational physiology lab. de la Universidad de Houston puede ayudar a las personas a medir su nivel de ejercicio diario y motivarles para lograr el consumo calórico que se marquen como objetivo. La aplicación,  denominada Walk n'Play, es un acelerómetro muy sensible capaz de registrar movimientos tan pequeños como los producidos a 0,8 km/h, convertirlos en unidades de actividad y en gasto energético. Puedes jugar compitiendo contra la máquina y también a través de redes sociales con amigos que lo estén utilizando. Te la puedes descargar gratuitamente desde iTunes .

video subido en Youtube por UHmultimedia

Foursquare es la red social de moda y una de las que está experimentando mayor crecimiento. Se basa en una aplicación para móviles o smartphones mediante la cual los usuarios pueden indicar su localización en tiempo real, aportar información sobre el lugar donde se encuentran y compartirlo todo vía Twitter o Facebook. Todo ello en un entorno donde el juego y la competición tienen un rol decisivo para “enganchar” al usuario. Las posibles aplicaciones de Foursquare son casi infinitas y se están desarrollando con gran rapidez. Hoy nos llama la atención este testimonio de una paciente con Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica , que nos cuenta en primera persona cómo esta red social le ha devuelto la motivación para salir de casa y para volver a socializar a pesar de sus limitaciones físicas. Hay muchas personas con movilidad limitada que necesitan estímulos diarios para realizar el sobreesfuerzo necesario para movilizarse con regularidad. Para algunos de ellos, Foursquare puede ser la clave para mejorar su calidad de vida.

Hace tiempo que oímos hablar de las redes sociales, el suficiente como para entender que sus ventajas dependen de los ojos que las miran.

Si las miramos desde el punto de vista del marketing, podemos ver en ellas puntos de encuentro entre marcas y consumidores, y descubrir los beneficios que uno puede obtener de esa conversación bidireccional. Si las miramos como usuarios más allá del marketing, veremos un espacio de reencuentro con antiguos amigos, y quizás una plataforma para mantener relaciones a cambio de poca inversión de tiempo.

Pero… he aquí un nuevo punto de vista, liderado por una plataforma llamada plerts.com, cuyo nombre viene de Personal Alerts, y que permite a sus usuarios vía web, vía aplicación iPhone o vía red Facebook programar eventos y enviar alertas de socorro a sus amigos y/o familiares al cabo de una hora o tiempo predefinido por el usuario, en caso de qué este no verifique que ha realizado el evento con éxito, ya sea porque lo han hospitalizado, se ha perdido o similar.

He aquí Plerts.com, una herramienta que permite con solo pulsar un botón rojo del iPhone transmitir la localización en tiempo real a través del correo electrónico, SMS, Faceboook y/o Twitter. Una plataforma que dispone de una versión de servicio gratuito y una de pago. La versión de pago contempla lo que llaman “WatchDogs”, personal de la plataforma que vigila la actividad del usuario, para notificar con mayor rapidez en caso de situación de riesgo. Una aplicación que causa furor a aquéllos que están preocupados todo el día por una posible reacción diabética y/o similar.

Hace tiempo que los sabemos, estamos conectados digitalmente. Pero cada día aprendemos más sobre cómo utilizar esa conexión.

El National Health Service del Reino Unido tiene a disposición de los diferentes profesionales relacionados con la salud una web, denominada NHS evidence , muy interesante, que permite un acceso fácil, rápido y gratuito a información científica de calidad, con una muy amplia lista de fuentes de información. El registro, sólo para profesionales de la salud, es gratuito. La población general puede acceder pero no registrarse.

Actualmente ha publicado la 3ª actualización sobre obesidad infantil que abarca el periodo desde marzo 2009 a febrero 2010 e incluye los últimos datos sobre obesidad infantil en el Reino Unido y las guías de actuación y prevención actualizadas

GlaxoSmithKline ha puesto en marcha en EEUU una ambiciosa campaña de prevención del cáncer de cérvix  para la  promoción de Cervarix , su vacuna contra el virus del papiloma. Su máximo exponente es este sorprendente spot lanzado la noche de los Oscar 2010 ante una audiencia de más de 40 millones de telespectadores:

La polémica en la red está servida. Unos tildan la campaña de sexista y poco educativa, mientras que otros la defienden por su capacidad de captar la atención del target en un tema de esta trascendencia. Una polémica que, de momento, lo que más genera es notoriedad, visitas al website de la campaña y, muy probablemente, prescripciones de Cervarix.

Jugar, aventura, correr, competir, zapatillas, deporte, bienestar físico, salud…

Veamos cómo las marcas que marcan tendencia, cruzan sus productos dentro de estrategias amplias, que involucran al consumidor de formas cada vez más sofisticadas.

¿Hasta que punto el sacrificio ha de presidir todos nuestros intentos de mantenernos en forma o alimentarnos equilibradamente?
¡Jugar también vale!