Social Media News and Research

Latest Social Media News and Research

First Edition: October 3, 2011

Today's headlines include stories previewing how health policy issues will fit into the Supreme Court's new term.

3 Oct 2011

MDC Partners acquires majority stake in Concentric Pharma

Concentric Pharma Advertising, one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare advertising agencies in the country, announced today that MDC Partners, Inc., has acquired a majority stake in the company.

1 Oct 2011

GSA, NAM select 16 reporters for MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and New America Media (NAM) have selected 16 reporters for the MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program, now in its second year.

30 Sep 2011

Lucky Strike to begin partnership with Breastcancer.org

Lucky Strike, the nation's premiere chain of upscale bowling and lounges, will begin its partnership with Breastcancer.org this month. Breastcancer.org is the leading online resource for breast health and breast cancer information and support.

28 Sep 2011

Poll finds health industry 'not adequately prepared' to protect patients' digital records

Reuters reports on a new poll of health executives that indicates that the industry is not adequately prepared to protect patients' digital health records. Still, according to the Boston Globe, Dr. David Blumenthal, offered a positive view of medical technology in a Wednesday night speech, saying that electronic medical records made him a better doctor.

23 Sep 2011

USAID launches 'FWD' campaign to raise awareness of famine, drought in Horn of Africa

The PBS NewsHour blog "The Rundown" features an interview with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, in which he discusses a new website initiative called "FWD," "aimed at giving viewers a better sense of the scope of the famine in the Horn of Africa -- its worst in more than 60 years." The site includes infographics and data maps "intended to contextualize the problem by showing the recent increase in food prices, where internally displaced peoples camps are located, and where various aid groups are operating," according to the blog.

22 Sep 2011

ERWW PR forms Health Buzz Group

Euro RSCG Worldwide PR (ERWW PR) announces the formation of its Health Buzz Group, a global division created in response to growing client interest in big, splashy “wows” from small budgets in quick time frames using traditional and social media to generate momentum.

20 Sep 2011

Leverage mobile technology and social networking to strengthen health systems

Alexander Finlayson, Katherine Hudson and Faisal Ali, all affiliates of MedicineAfrica, a social enterprise providing a platform for health care educational and research partnerships between Northern and Southern collaborators, write in a SciDev.Net opinion piece, "Health scientists in developing countries can use social media to tackle research priorities, ... building networks and sharing the knowledge needed to make strategic progress towards strengthening health systems.

20 Sep 2011

European Commissioner for Health launches phase two of anti-smoking campaign

John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health today launched phase two of the European Commission's anti-smoking campaign. He announced that over 500,000 Europeans to date have demonstrated their support for the campaign - "Ex-smokers are Unstoppable" - by accessing its social media pages.

20 Sep 2011

Ad Council, USAID partner to launch FWD awareness campaign

response to the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has partnered with the Ad Council to launch a national public awareness campaign.

20 Sep 2011

Scientists to develop 'Facebook Light' for dementia patients

Research scientists will develop "Facebook Light" - with a user interface suitable for the elderly and people with dementia - to promote important social contact.

16 Sep 2011

“Contagion” movie entirely plausible

Hollywood's latest thriller “Contagion” seems to have captured the public’s interest with strong sales at the box office. In the movie tens of millions of people are wiped out by the rapid spread of a killer airborne disease. It's a scenario real-life experts say is entirely plausible.

14 Sep 2011

Health Canada approves Afinitor for treatment of brain tumours caused by TSC in children

Families with children suffering from brain tumours caused by an uncommon genetic disorder known as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) have new hope with Health Canada's recent conditional approval of a new therapeutic use for the drug Afinitor (everolimus). Afinitor is the first drug therapy approved in Canada for the treatment of brain tumours caused by TSC in patients three years of age and older.

14 Sep 2011

AstraZeneca Canada introduces new NEXIUM Patient Support program

Canadian pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca Canada Inc., has introduced a new NEXIUM® Patient Support program designed to give physicians and pharmacists the ability to take cost out of the equation in the patient's choice between NEXIUM® tablets and a generic esomeprazole product.

9 Sep 2011

Social engagement transforms white fat into energy-burning brown fat

When mice are given a more engaging place to live with greater opportunities for social stimulation, some of their energy-storing white fat is transformed to energy-burning brown fat. As a result, the animals expend more energy and lose weight even as they eat more. The findings reported in the September Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, point to the powerful effect that animals' social and physical environments can have on their metabolisms.

8 Sep 2011

Teenagers use medicines frequently without receiving targeted information about risks and benefits

A large proportion of teenagers regularly and frequently take some form of medication without receiving targeted information about the risks and benefits, according to a review of current research, to be presented at the annual congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

5 Sep 2011

Mayo Clinic identifies new benefit of social media and online networks for rare diseases research

Mayo Clinic has identified a new benefit of social media and online networking: a novel way to study rare diseases. Through patient-run websites dedicated to heart conditions and women's heart health, a team of cardiologists led by Sharonne Hayes, M.D., is reaching out to survivors of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, also known as SCAD, a poorly understood heart condition that affects just a few thousand Americans every year.

31 Aug 2011

NSU's iPad program treats spinal cord injuries

A little iPad can go a long way. At Nova Southeastern University (NSU), the tiny, flat screen, touch pad is being used by the Occupational Therapy Department researchers to treat disabled patients who suffer from spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

31 Aug 2011

Thirty two projects to receive €1M donation for prevention of AF-related stroke

Last night at an award ceremony in Paris, the 32 winning projects of the global disease awareness initiative 1 Mission 1 Million - Getting to the Heart of Stroke were announced.

29 Aug 2011

Restricting kids' unstructured play may actually cause harm

Hovering helicopter parents who restrict their kids' unstructured play may actually harm, rather than help, children according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play, a scholarly journal which has gathered a distinguished group of experts to probe the near-extinction of free play and its effects on children and society.

26 Aug 2011