Healthpoint Services is one of 10 biomedicine companies included in Technology Review’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (TR50) for 2012 [1].
Interview: Andre Blackman, FastForward Health Film Festival
October 15, 2012 | by
FastForward Health is an evening film festival highlighting those people innovating and developing new ideas to improve public and community health around the world.
Founded by Andre Blackman (@MindofAndre) and David Haddad (@haddadda), FastForward Health launched on November 1st, 2011. As we near the end of year one, we sat down with co-founder Andre Blackman to talk about the project and where it’s headed.
Andre Blackman is Founder and Managing Editor of Pulse + Signal, a website that features highlights and commentary on the impact/usefulness of technology in the public health landscape. He is the former Director of Digital for the American Heart Association, Mid-Atlantic Affiliate. Andre is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Mayo Clinic Center for Health Care Social Media (over the years, we’ve interviewed two other board members: Phil Baumann and Bertalan Mesko).
Sun Safety App Claims to Help Reduce Risk of Overexposure
June 5, 2012 | by
Time frolicking outdoors in the sun is as an integral part of summer. However, sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that promote skin damage and aging, and increase the risk of skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation warns that sunscreen is critical during time outdoors, regardless of skin type. While new FDA sunscreen regulations promise to provide consumers with more accurate information about the degree of protection their sunscreen is providing, the CDC warns that sunscreen is only one part of the protective equation, and recommends protective clothing and judicious use of shade during intense sunlight hours.
Website Provides Vaccine Facts, Helps Parents Track Kids’ Vaccine Schedule
April 23, 2012 | by
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the week of April 21, 2012 to be World Vaccination Week. The purpose of the initiative is to spread information about the importance and safety of vaccines.
The Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition has developed a website called Immunize For Good, which provides parents with useful resources and factual information about vaccinations. Topics addressed on the website include information about vaccine safety, the number of vaccines given and the rationale for each, and vaccine side effects. Of particular importance, the site addresses whether parents should consider spacing out vaccinations in an attempt to reduce side effects or avoid “overloading the immune system.” While vaccinating on an alternative schedule has become popular in recent years, there’s no scientific evidence to support such an approach. From the website:
Vaccines are tested to work together to best protect your child’s health. The CDC vaccine schedule is designed to give your child the greatest protection possible… There is no medical benefit in spreading out vaccines. The alternative or delayed vaccine schedule will not decrease adverse reactions.
By 15 months, children on [a popular] delayed schedule are given 17 shots and visit the doctor’s office 9 times — almost twice as many visits to the doctor as compared to the CDC schedule.
In an effort to encourage parents to vaccinate on the CDC’s recommended schedule — and to make keeping track of vaccinations easier — the coalition has developed a web-based vaccine tracking program.
Parents can access the vaccine tracking program from either a home computer or a mobile device. By logging in and providing information about their child’s age and vaccines the child has received, parents can get a personalized vaccination schedule that will keep their child up to date on all CDC-recommended immunizations.
Remember, vaccines save lives.
Source: Immunize For Good
Poll Shows More Consumers Using Social Media for Health Information
April 19, 2012 | by
A poll conducted by consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that one-third of Americans use social media, including Facebook and Twitter, to obtain information about health and wellness [1]. Respondents reported using social media resources to self-diagnose, get information about prescription drugs, and check up on doctors’ and hospitals’ reputations.
