Social Media News and Research

Latest Social Media News and Research

Twitter, Facebook emerging as disease-fighting tools

From Iowa to Brazil, researchers are discovering there is a distinct association between complaints, worries and random rants on the social media site and the spread of medical issues as wide-ranging as the flu, dengue fever and pollen-induced allergies.

11 Aug 2011

Survey complements new Nature's Fix social media campaign

Nestle Waters North America on behalf of its six sparkling regional spring water brands, Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Poland Spring and Zephyrhills today announced the findings from its recent survey.

9 Aug 2011

Share A Smile program for kids in need of major orthodontic care

An Orange County-based charity that puts smiles back on the faces of underprivileged kids in need of major orthodontic care is the first charitable organization featured as part of a unique social media campaign designed to inspire people to get involved with nonprofits.

8 Aug 2011

Social media may improve public health system's ability to prepare, recover from disasters

Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective" article from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania to be published this week.

28 Jul 2011

Superdrug, Orabrush to market tongue cleaner in 500 locations across the UK

Orabrush today announced that Superdrug will begin carrying the Orabrush tongue cleaner in 500 locations across the United Kingdom. Recently awarded UK's Best For Personal Care by Verdict Research, Superdrug is the UK's second-largest beauty and health retailer.

26 Jul 2011

JDR publishes study titled 'Public Health Surveillance of Dental Pain via Twitter'

The microblogging service Twitter is a new means for the public to communicate health concerns and could afford health care professionals new ways to communicate with patients.

19 Jul 2011

New Mayo Clinic social network for patients and caregivers

Mayo Clinic has launched a new online social network to connect its global community of patients and caregivers with others who share similar health interests. More than 1,000 members have joined in its first seven days of service.

14 Jul 2011

Doctors, nurses warned not to ‘Facebook’ with patients

The British Medical Association (BMA) has said that doctors should not accept Facebook requests from current and former patients and should consider adopting “conservative privacy settings” where possible. The guidelines are termed, “Using social media: practical and ethical guidance for doctors and medical students”. The BMA explains that problems can occur if the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship become blurred.

13 Jul 2011

Scientists track public health trends through Twitter

Twitter allows millions of social media fans to comment in 140 characters or less on just about anything: an actor's outlandish behavior, an earthquake's tragic toll or the great taste of a grilled cheese sandwich.

8 Jul 2011

Obama defends U.S. foreign aid spending during Twitter Town Hall meeting

"President Barack Obama on Wednesday held his first-ever 'Town Hall' meeting using the social media network Twitter, focusing on the U.S. economy and jobs," VOA News reports (Robinson, 6/7).

8 Jul 2011

Special issue explores new research into collective memories of London bombings

Six years on from the devastating 7/7 London bombings and in the wake of the inquest into the attacks, a special issue of the journal Memory Studies, published by SAGE, explores new research into our collective memories of this tragic event.

7 Jul 2011

Study reveals unique pattern of brain activity when false memories are formed

How easy is it to falsify memory? New research at the Weizmann Institute shows that a bit of social pressure may be all that is needed. The study, which appears Friday in Science, reveals a unique pattern of brain activity when false memories are formed - one that hints at a surprising connection between our social selves and memory.

1 Jul 2011

SOGC launches first Facebook game about healthy sexuality for Canadians

Today, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is launching its first Facebook game - Sex Quest - to help Canadians learn about healthy sexuality, contraception and STIs.

27 Jun 2011

New model of health care delivery relies on active participation of patients and caregivers

A new model of care developed for patients at the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has led to improved patient experience, lower costs and better patient outcomes.

24 Jun 2011

Terry White Chemists, Orabrush partner to fight against bad breath

Orabrush, the tongue cleaner that helps cure bad breath, today announced Terry White Chemists has joined the battle against bad breath as the first Orabrush retailer in Australia.

22 Jun 2011

Pawlenty aims verbal barb at Romney

On Thursday, GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty called rival Mitt Romney a "co-conspirator" in the federal health overhaul. He also repeated his call for repealing the measure, and maintained that, when he was governor, he handled health reform "the right way."

17 Jun 2011

'Healthy food' discussed at Nutrevent 2011

How is "healthy food" defined ? Which food compounds are scientifically approved as health-enhancing ? What type of food information do consumers need or want ? Do "pharma" and "food" need more convergence to be innovative ? These were the most discussed topics during the 2011 edition of the "Nutrevent", an international innovation congress organized by the Eurasanté and the Nutrition, Health and Logevity Cluster in the French city of Lille.

17 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 17, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how health entitlement programs are faring in the ongoing deficit-reduction negotiations.

17 Jun 2011

Infosys introduces Health Benefit Exchange

Infosys today announced the availability of Infosys Health Benefit Exchange, a cost effective solution designed to help states set up the insurance exchanges mandated in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

15 Jun 2011

New York Times examines evolving role of social media in disease tracking efforts

The New York Times examines how social media is changing efforts to monitor the spread of diseases. According to the article, technology is democratizing the disease-hunting process, upsetting the old equilibrium by connecting people through channels effectively outside government control.

15 Jun 2011