Friday's Digital Health Finds...

Here are some latest social and mobile headlines, infographics, and insights relevant to the Best Buy Drugs work we do at Consumer Reports. As you know, there's A LOT out there, so we pared the latest down to 5 - 10 headlines and links. Hope the information is useful to you.

Another note: Consumer Reports launched BBD Twitter and Facebook pages this week! Take a look, and please follow, like, and share! Thanks.


Doctors and their online reputation [NY Times Well]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/doctors-and-their-online-reputation

When a doctor I know recently signed up for a Twitter account, his colleagues began teasing him. “Are you going to tweet what you eat?” one joked. Their questions, though, soon turned serious. How often was he going to tweet? What would he do if patients asked for medical advice on Twitter? Did he make up a name or use his real one? “Doesn’t it make you nervous to put yourself ‘out there’?” asked one doctor...



Mobile App Helps Alzheimer’s Caregivers [Voice of America]
http://www.voanews.com/content/phone-app-developed-to-assis-alzheimer-caregivers/1629535.html


Increasingly, family members are being called upon to assist in the care of loved ones with Alzheimer's, a complex and difficult task that many people find themselves unprepared for. That is why the Hebrew Home, a privately-run geriatric care organization in Riverdale, New York, developed a new iPhone and iPad application called Balance. The $4 App, which can be purchased online, offers caregivers helpful information about Alzheimer’s, including tips on getting a reliable diagnosis of the condition, recognizing its symptoms, and managing routine daily care of the Alzheimer’s patient, such as feeding, bathing and hygiene.



Mobile and Smartphones in Healthcare: A Growing Trend [Tufts Medical Center via PInterest]
http://pinterest.com/pin/137078382380361599/


There are more than 40,000 mobile health apps

One in three cell phone owners have used it for health information, compared to 17% just two years ago.

One in five smartphone owners have at least one health app on their phone. Exercise, diet, and weight apps are the most popular.

In the iTunes App Store, there are: 250+ blood pressure apps; 475+ heart health apps, 1,500+ weight loss apps; 125+ medicine apps

A smart bracelet to help reduce hospital-acquired infections [Atelier]
http://www.atelier.net/en/trends/articles/smart-bracelet-help-reduce-hospital-acquired-infections


The bracelet tracks the healthcare workers’ hand motions as they wash their hands, and assesses whether the guidelines laid down for washing procedures are being followed. The bracelet vibrates to inform the healthcare worker when the hand hygiene procedure has been properly executed or alert him/her that the washing procedure was inadequate. All the data for each bracelet wearer are recorded.



CVS launches a “virtual pharmacy” iPad app [mobihealthnews]
http://mobihealthnews.com/21239/cvs-launches-a-virtual-pharmacy-ipad-app/

The CVS iPad app presents the user with a 3D virtual pharmacy, where each section of the store corresponds to a functionality for the app, many of which were already present on CVS’s iPhone app. In the Pharmacy, users can scan barcodes to refill prescriptions and manage their family’s prescriptions. In the MinuteClinic, users can search for nearby clinics, check whether their insurance is accepted, and see a list of services offered.



Infographic: 41 percent of patients say social media affects hospital choice [Ragan’s Health Care Communication News]
http://www.healthcarecommunication.com/Main/Articles/10204.aspx


26% of all hospitals in the U.S. participate in social media

How are they participating? 46% - YouTube; 84% - Facebook; 64% - Twitter; 12% - Blog

60% of doctors say social media improves the quality of care delivered to patients



A Healthcare Guide to Hashtags and Tweet-Ups [HealthWorks Collective]
http://healthworkscollective.com/stuart-wainstock/91651/healthcare-guide-hashtags-and-tweet-ups


We’ve packed in all the details on hashtags, as well as details on the most popular tweet chats. So, grab a cup of coffee, your Twitter tools, and dive in to the healthcare guide to Twitter.


And... the tweet of the week:

RT @alliance_health: "The biggest risk of social media in health care is not using it at all"- @kevinmd http://ow.ly/ji16Y #hcsm

HAPPY EASTER

All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny!

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There's no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans.

Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

May the joy of the season fill your heart.

Delivering your baby: Why scheduling early is not a good idea

Sometimes there are medical reasons for a woman to deliver her baby before naturally
going into labor. For example, if a week or more passes after the due date and the baby does not come, doctors may need to start, or induce, labor. Or if the woman or her baby is at risk, doctors may need to deliver the baby by Cesarean delivery, or C-section.

These types of deliveries can save lives. But tohurry a baby’s birth—just to make it convenient for you or your doctor—can increase the risk of serious problems for both you and your baby.

In plain terms: Don't schedule a birth for convenience. Here's why:

http://bit.ly/16g8lBV

Feel free to join me...

I ordered B and my tickets today.