Social Media News and Research

Latest Social Media News and Research

'Global Pulse' summarizes event launching USAID child survival social media campaign

At an event on Monday launching USAID's "Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday" social media campaign, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah described how $30 worth of materials contained in a backpack he carried onto stage, including zinc to prevent diarrhea and vaccines to prevent pneumococcal diseases, "can lead to a massive reduction in preventable child death in the developing world," GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog reports.

26 Apr 2012

Blog posts comment on launch of USAID's 'Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday' campaign

The following is a summary of several blog posts commenting on the launch of USAID's "Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday" social media campaign by USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah at an event at the Kaiser Family Foundation on Monday.

25 Apr 2012

USAID Administrator Shah launches social media campaign to garner support to improve child health, survival

Under the slogan "Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday," USAID on Monday launched a social media campaign featuring childhood photos of celebrities, global health leaders and lawmakers, with the aim of "building support to fight preventable deaths of children," CQ HealthBeat reports.

25 Apr 2012

U.N. SG ban warns of 'cascading crisis' of drought, conflict in African Sahel

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week "called on the global community to act quickly to address what he described as a 'cascading crisis' sweeping the Sahel region of West Africa, where 15 million people have been affected by the drought and conflict-related crisis in the area," the U.N. News Centre reports.

20 Apr 2012

Longer looks: Rushed medicine; Exercising your way to a smarter brain

Something in the world of medicine is seriously amiss. Unhappy patients gripe about their doctors' brusque manner and give them bad marks on surveys and consumer websites like HealthGrades and Angie's List. They tell tales of being rushed out of the office by harried doctors who miss crucial diagnoses, never look up from their computers during an exam, make errors in prescriptions, and just plain don't listen to their patients. ... And things don't seem much better from the other side of the stethoscope.

20 Apr 2012

Report: More patients turning to social media for medical advice

According to a new report, a third of consumers use social media to seek medical information, leading some to say that providers and insurers should utilize the media more to better interact with patients about their conditions.

19 Apr 2012

Half of young adult tobacco smokers also have used marijuana in the last 30 days

Half of young adult tobacco smokers also have smoked marijuana in the last 30 days, according to a recent Facebook-based survey conducted by UCSF researchers, indicating a greater prevalence of marijuana and tobacco co-use among smokers age 18-25 than previously reported.

19 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 18, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about the latest Capitol Hill developments related to the budget.

18 Apr 2012

Act now 'to prevent tragedy' in Africa's Sahel food security crisis

"The world appears reluctant to open its wallets to relief organizations dedicated to saving the lives of Africa's children until it's official. They want the United Nations to declare a famine," a Globe and Mail editorial states.

12 Apr 2012

Preeclampsia Foundation to hold Promise Walks in May

May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month and to build awareness of preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy and the post-partum period, thousands of families in 36 cities in the U.S. and Canada are participating in Promise Walks.

10 Apr 2012

Internet-savvy consumers are incessant shoppers of health care providers and information

Today's Internet-savvy consumers are incessant shoppers of both health care providers and health care information, typically passing through four phases of online evaluation and connection with physicians, medical practices and other patients, according to Ron Harman King, a veteran digital marketer of specialty practices.

7 Apr 2012

Steps to reduce risk of social media sites among teenagers

While social media has made connecting and communicating with anyone at any time as easy as pie, it also has altered teen's social skills and behaviors. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have proven to be great tools to expedite the development of empathy, encourage task-switching or even bring somewhat shy individuals a little more out of their shells. However, social media sites have also fostered a host of psychological and behavioral problems.

6 Apr 2012

UNICEF launches social media campaign to raise awareness of malnutrition among children in Sahel region

UNICEF on Tuesday launched a social media campaign "to raise awareness about children in the Sahel region in northern Africa who are in urgent need of food aid," CNN reports.

4 Apr 2012

Public service announcement on pediatric pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) sounds like an adult disease, but the life-threatening lung condition strikes children too. Ten-year-old Lucas Van Wormer is one of them.

3 Apr 2012

HHS Secretary announces six winners in HHSinnovates program

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced six winners in the HHSinnovates program today in a ceremony at HHS headquarters, saying all the entries "show a vibrant culture of innovation" within the department.

31 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 30, 2012

Today's health policy headlines include reports that the House yesterday approved the $3.5 trillion budget plan proposed by Paul Ryan -- which includes deep cuts in entitlements and will likely trigger the election-year fiscal debate.

30 Mar 2012

New study shows that Australians still stand by the private health system

New research shows that 70 per cent of Australians believe that Australia’s health care system would not cope without a strong private hospitals sector, but many are unaware of the range of services provided by Australia’s private hospitals.

25 Mar 2012

More supermarkets shun “pink slime”

Supermarket chains Kroger Co. and Stop & Shop announced Thursday that they would no longer sell beef that includes an additive with the unappetizing “pink slime.” Federal regulators say the ammonia-treated filler, known in the industry as “lean, finely textured beef,” meets food safety standards. But critics say the product could be unsafe and is an unappetizing example of industrialized food production.

25 Mar 2012

U.S. to launch graphic anti-smoking warnings

The United States Government is starting a major new effort to cut the country's smoking rate by showing graphic images of people who have sustained life-altering health problems after smoking for years.

18 Mar 2012

DA4S's fifth annual networking conference and EXPO to take place from May 21-23

On May 21-23, 2012, Diversity Alliance for Science, Inc., a non-profit organization created to support, mentor, and develop minority-, woman-, veteran/service-disabled-, HUBZone-, and LGBT-owned, life sciences businesses, will host its fifth annual networking conference and EXPO event.

17 Mar 2012