Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 @ 06:40 AM
As we move into 2010, I've been thinking a lot about what I've 
learned this year, much of it triggered by the tremendous number of thought leader blogs, eBooks and white papers that I've read this year. While there is no way to capture all the great work happening 24/7, here's a smattering of a few (well maybe more than a ‘few') that you may want to read or re-read as we get ready to step into 2010...
Topics cover a range- from social media and technology, to ePatients and marketing, including implications for Pharma and Healthcare, in the US and Europe. Please feel free to share other posts that you found valuable. Happy reading...
Best Blogs
Social Media, Platforms and Technology
Ten ‘Thinks' You Should Know about Social Media by Shwen Gwee at Med 2.0 blog
Pharma Should Forget About Social Media Monitoring by Jonathan Richman at Dose of Digital
Pharma Don't Be Shy About Social Media by Wendy Blackburn at ePharma Rx, Intouch Solutions
10 Social Media Watch-outs for Pharma and Healthcare Marketers by Ellen Hoenig, Notes from the Back of the Book
7 Inputs to a Social Media Strategy by Adam Cohen, A Thousands Cuts blog
5 Social Media Myths by Digital Tonto blog
The 3 F's and 3 R's of Social Media Marketing by Chris Boyer, Hospital Online Marketing
Lee Aase, Mayo Clinic: The Future of Health Brands and Social Media and Greg Matthews, Humana: The Future of Health Brands and Social Media by Eric Brody at Healthy Conversations
A Clinical Infusion of Google Wave and Healthcare's Google- Facebook -Twitter Platform by Phil Baumann
Is Google the New FDA? By John Mack at Pharma Marketing blog
Google Real Time Search and Crisis Communications and Google and Pharmacovigilance by Mark Senak at eyeonfda blog
Google Sidewiki and Implications for Pharma Brands by Adam Cohen, A Thousand Cuts blog, Rosetta
Why Pharma Needs to Pay Attention to Wikipedia, Guest post Eileen O'Brien at Notes from the Back of the Book
Readability of the Top 50 Prescribed Drugs in Wikipedia by Kevin Kruse, The Patient Will See You Now
Pharma and Twitter: Who's Got Hand by Mark Senak at eyeonfda blog
Follow the Engagement-visualizing #FollowPharma by Silja Chouquet at Whydotpharma blog
The Increasing Use of Social Media to Recruit Patients for Clinical Trials by Sally Church at Pharma Marketing Strategy blog
Video Games: Key to the Future of Pharma and Healthcare? By Ellen Hoenig, Notes From the Back Of the Book
Why the Pharma Industry Should Care About Augmented Reality Guest Post by Sven Larsen of Pixels and Pills at Fard Johnmar's Walking the Path blog
Pfizer and Social Media-- an Update by Steve Woodruff at Impactiviti blog and consultancy
Social Media ROI for Hospitals and Health Marketers by Kevin Kruse and Kru Research blog
Splitting ROI by Just So You Know blog (Meredith Gould and Daphne Leigh Swancutt)
Europe You need to Tackle Social Media Now by Silja Chouquet at Whydotpharma blog
The Pachyderm in the Parlour: resisting the legitimation of DTC social media activates in Europe by Andrew Spong STweM blog and consultancy
Pharma, Marketing and Paradigm Shift
What's Hot In Oncology: A Review of 2009 and Predictions for 2010 by Sally Church at Pharma Marketing Strategy blog
Pharma Still Uneasy About Getting Social, Pharma Blog Review by Chris Truelove
The Pitfalls of Doing Nothing by Steve Woodruff at Impactiviti blog and consultancy
Ten things Pharma Companies Will Never Try (But Should) by Jonathan Richman at Dose of Digital
Will Patients Find Value in Discussions with Pharma? By John Mack
Question For Healthcare Marketers: Do You See Patients as Consumers? By Eric Brody at Healthy Conversations
Save Boobs Blasts Attention Glut (guest post Fard Johnmar) Just So You Know blog (Meredith Gould and Daphne Leigh Swancutt)
Refining Patienthood Project Launches: Aims, Goals and Many Questions Ahead by Jen McCabe, Jen's Posterous Health Management Rx
Why Programming Microchoice and Microcontrol into the Healthcare system will lead to the Equivalent of the Microprocessing Revolution by Jen McCabe Jen's Posterous Health Management Rx
Splitting Trouble and Talking Trash by Just So You Know blog (Meredith Gould and Daphne Leigh Swancutt)
Pharma and Social Media: What Roles Should Personas Play? by Ellen Hoenig at Notes from the Back of the Book blog
CMO 3.0: Why Marketing is the New Finance, Odom Lewis, Healthcare Marketing and Medical Executive Search
ePatients, Patients and Consumers
Video "Tale of 2 ePatients": Pecha Kucha Limerick Dr Val Jones via The Patients Will See You Now, Kevin Kruse and Kru Research
Mayo Clinic Music Fun and A Bite of Life at Sharing Mayo Clinic
Disease Guilt by Steve Woodruff at Impactiviti blog and consultancy
Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here, Have Something Messed Up Happen? By Jen McCabe, Jen's Posterous
What Part of Give Us Our Damn Data Do You Not Understand by Dave deBronkart at e-patients.net
ePatient 2009: Voice of the Patient by Kerri Morrone Sparling, at sixuntilme.com
A Patient's Perspective: Day Two of FDA Public Hearing (#FDASM) by DC Patient
Advice to a Cancer Patient Facing News He Didn't Want and Don't Let the Median Scare You To Death by Dave deBronkart, The New Life of ePatient Dave blog, Dave deBronkart
The Pew/Health Internet FAQ by Susannah Fox at e-patients.net (Leads Health Research and Internet Strategy for Pew Internet and American Life Project)
The Social Life of Health Information by Susannah Fox, Pew Internet and American Life Project
What Pharma Can learn from Communities' Opinions by Andrew Spong STweM
The Role of Physician Trust and Communication in Filling New Prescriptions by Kevin Kruse, Kru Research
Best eBooks and White Papers (free)
Best Learning Actions for Pharma and Healthcare Marketers in 2010? Reflections by 12 Sage Bloggers and Thought leaders, Editor Ellen Hoenig AdvanceMarketWoRx
Overcoming Our Social Challenges: Getting Started with Social Media in Biotech by Shwen Gwee
A Bright Future for Digital, a Dimmer One for Pharma by Len Starnes, Bayer Schering Pharma
Pharma and Healthcare Social Media Principles by Jonathan Richman Dose of Digital blog, Bridge Worldwide
Social Media: What's In It for Pharma? A Digitas Health Social Media POV by Sarah Larcker
Getting Started with Social Networking by Steve Woodruff of Impactiviti blog and consultancy
Pharma Twitterama: Exploring the Use of Twitter in Pharma and Healthcare by Shwen Gwee at Med 2.0 blog
WEGO Health Webinar: Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists by Shwen Gwee at Med 2.0 blog
140 Healthcare Uses for Twitter by Phil Baumann
Social Media and Pharma: Is their value? By Richard Meyer
Monitoring Adverse Events in Social Media for Pharma's Biggest Brands: Hopeless Task or Simple Project? Mini-white paper, Jonathan Richman Dose of Digital
An Edelman Report: Insights and Recommendations in the Wake of the FDA Social Media Hearings, The Health Engagement blog
Considering Neuroscience to Improve Consumer Communications- FDA Advisory Committee Meeting by Ellen Hoenig, AdvanceMarketWorx Notes from the Back of the Book blog
ePatient White Paper by ePatient Scholars team, ePatient.net (2007- but still including this classic!)
Best Wikis
#FDASM by Fabio Gratton of Ignite Health
Pharma and Healthcare Social Media Wiki by Jonathan Richman at Dose of Digital
Hospital Social Networking List by Ed Bennett
Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 06:57 AM
Full Article Published in PharmExec.com August 5, 2009. 
Everyday new results suggest that health games and virtual worlds bear the potential to be "game changers" by improving education, provoking greater engagement, and engendering positive behavior to enhance health and wellness.
While more clinical studies are still needed, preliminary results are beginning to demonstrate proof of principle. In the wake of the 2009 Games For Health conference, the article outlines five factors for why you might start to take health gaming seriously, as well as key lessons consistently described by the speakers, to provide a perspective on what may be involved in bringing Health eGames into 2010 planning and beyond. (For a summary of the two-day event, along with the associated marketing implications of healthgames, see PharmExec guest blogs "The Next Frontier" and "Can Healthcare Games Change the Game of Healthcare?")
Gaming for Health: Five Factors
- Games are not just for kids, or teenage boys, but are increasingly played by digital moms and 50+ consumers
- Games enjoy broad penetration--in the US, 68% of households play computer or video games
- America faces serious health issues that need extra attention e.g., diabetes, obesity, lack of adherence. Games can provide a fun and innovative way to reach new audiences.
- Early success stories for health games suggest meaningful public health benefits. Four examples of health games with measurable clinical results are outlined in the PharmExec article.
- Serious players are supporting the growth of health games, including health insurers such as Humana, and foundations like Robert Wood Johnson, Annenberg, Lance Armstrong and Sesame Workshop's Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
Bring More to Your Brand's Arsenal
Games for health can provide many benefits to a brand-- from education and entertainment, to improving adherence or training (See Marketing Implications). As you plan for 2010 and beyond, consider these seven lessons for boosting health game development, as presented by this year's Games For Health Conference speakers:
- Focus on FUN--Keeping up the fun factor takes creativity and insight
- Provide relevant value through absolute clarity of the target, the desired customer experience, and the unique value proposition
- Personalize the experience wherever possible
- Keep it simple. Deliver a guided experience that is easy and doesn't make consumers have to think too much or work too hard.
- Think 24/7 experience. Consider many channels and platforms
- Maximize social interactions via sharing, support, and competition
- Keep metrics and measurement front-and-center
Healthcare games hold huge potential for the pharma industry, by both engaging consumers and improving health and brand outcomes--all in an interactive electronic format that will be an important part of consumers' lives for many years to come...
Games for Health may even represent pharma's chance to leapfrog Web 2.0 straight to Healthcare 3.0...Can you imagine?
What do you think?
Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 @ 06:24 AM
Admittedly a little self promotion, my new article "DTC 21:
was just published in June's DTC Perspectives Magazine. The crux of the article:
As social media overhauls the consumer mindset, it's important to keep in mind that the principles of sound marketing still apply. Any forays into social media must fit with overall brand strategy, leverage consumer insights, and be executed with consistent creativity and authenticity. The article speaks to five phases of successful social media planning and some of the potential opportunities brands and companies can realize with good planning and focus on the 6 C's of Engagement.
While its only been two short months since the article went to print, Pharma's use of social media continues to steadily evolve, with a number of new forays into social media:
Blogs: GSK's "More than Medicine" launched to the public in May, and speaks to a variety of issues across the healthcare spectrum. They've done an impressive job finding a credible voice so quickly out of the gate.
Facebook: J&J launched ADHDAllies for adults with ADHD as a complement to its pediatric ADHD for Moms launched last year. Also Marcia Strassman as Patient Advocate for Zometa.
Brand Sponsored Communities: CML Earth- Created by 
Novartis Oncology, CML Earth is a global, interactive social network dedicated to connecting the CML community from around the world.
Moderated Chat: Though some might disagree, P&G's Asacol has initiated what I would say is the beginning of moderated chat on their website for patients to ask questions and/or share their stories managing UC --but with no specific medication mentions. I like the idea of consumers having an opportunity to ask questions; hope they can quickly fix the kinks and expand the community aspects and depth of engagement...
Twitter: Novo Nordisk with Race With Insulin, and Sanofi Pasteur, from the vaccines division of Sanofi-Aventis Group.
Games for Health: Having just recently attended the Games For Health Conference in June (PharmExec Blogs Next Frontier and Game Changing Implications), this is an area bursting with new products and opportunities, E.G., Hope Labs and Virtual Heroes announced they will team up to create the next version of the Re-Mission Video Game for teens with cancer; plus many new excergames, braingames, health education games, rehab games, simulation training games, advergames...
Other recent summaries providing helpful perspectives on Pharma and Healthcare Social Media include:
The numbers continue to demonstrate how social consumers are with their healthcare information--but they're hardly relying on one particular media or platform, but a MIX of reliable sources...
Despite the regulatory challenges Pharma faces (latest DDMAC proposed regulations), depending on your brand's target, Social Media pilots and programs should be part of your 2010 planning and marketing mix. It's not a matter of "if", but "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how"...
While Social Media requires some "letting go", it is fast changing the game of healthcare marketing and education. How are you incorporating social media into your company/brand planning? Any successes you'd like to share?
Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 @ 04:21 PM
Now that the Games for Health Conference is over, I've had a little time to reflect on possible implications for Pharma and Healthcare Marketing.
Please read my second guest blog at PharmaExec Blog for the Seven Key Implications I see for Pharma and Healthcare as we move into the "virtual" future of healthcare marketing. Implications range from prevention, diagnosis and awareness to adherence and training.
If you're new to the concept of health games, based on the conference, health games seem to generally fall into six areas:
- Exergaming-The largest category of health games, led by Wii products. Continued growth is expected by building stronger social community and competitive features, adding virtual and new workouts to keep it fun, and expanding mobile synergies.
- Brain Fitness or Braingaming focuses on cognitive training aimed at improving or maintaining mental function; expected to grow significantly over the next five years.
- Emotional Well-being and Mental Health is an emerging healthgame category based on cognitive therapy and interventions to improve coping skills, insight and resiliency. There is a new game being developed by Energy Inside & MIT Media Lab called "Lemonade". Through interactive social media, commonsense reasoning psychology and a learning recommendation engine, Energy Inside will deliver micro-interventions (pep) that are intended to shift mindset when a person needs it most.
- Healthy Behavior games rely largely on the principles of behavior change and modification, often targeting chronic conditions, such as diabetes, HIV, or other challenges such as ‘eating healthy'. Examples: Humana, The Partnership For An HIV-Free Generation and Warner Brothers called Pamoja Mtaani (also considered a Causegame), or games marrying brand building and education, which are often called Advergames. A few examples in Pharma include "Don't Blow It", developed for Nasonex by Edelman, and Mirapex for Restless Legs Syndrome.
- Rehabilitative or Therapygaming. Examples include Guitar Hero III to help upper-extremity amputees, games to help Motor Rehabilitation, Attention Deficits and Schizophrenia, burn victims and motivating compliance of postoperative breathing exercises.
- Training Through Immersive Learning Simulations and Virtual Worlds to improve performance and quality. Friday's blog outlined the advanced learning simulation and technology developed by Virtual Heroes for emergency and acute training and care. Other simulation and virtual worlds were applied to dental surgery, and nursing education.
Other good articles covering the Games For Health Conference include: Boston Globe's Video Games Boost Patient Rehabilitation which highlights the work of a team of Johns Hopkins' University engineers who modified the Guitar Hero for people with amputated hands, 5 Ways Gaming May Transform The Future Of Healthcare & Wellness by Rohit Bhargava of the Influential Marketing Blog, and Drawing Parallels of Web 2.0 and Exergames by Biray Alsac.
Health Games are quickly emerging as a new way to bring fun, engagement and interaction on a human level. Anyone have a good example of a health egame they'd like to share?
Picture: courtesy of PharmExec and Wikipedia
Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 @ 02:22 PM
Wow! The Games for Health Conference has been very exciting--
It's early days in health gaming, but you can feel the momentum building and its potential to impact consumer health and behavior.
To read about day 1, here's a guest blog I did today for PharmExec. Also for tweeters: #G4H09
More to come...blog 2: potential thought starters for Pharma...
Posted by Ellen Hoenig Carlson on Tue, Feb 24, 2009 @ 07:30 PM
One of my pharmaceutical clients is thinking about targeting the 18-24 market which got me thinking about video games as a potential way to engage and educate this active segment. And as the Mom of three boys, video games are certainly part of our household, so I find myself learning more and more -despite myself- just to keep up with my children...
A few months ago, I read an interesting blog by Douglas Goldstein (The Health Care Blog) entitled Video games to revolutionaize health and healthcare. The blog coincided with two other events that month:
1. The release of a new book, Changing the GAME: How Video Games are Transforming the Future of Business, underscoring the notion that video games are becoming a valuable tool for mainstream business--used for everything from marketing to training to increasing productivity.
2. The release of a new report by iConecto, a leading digital media solutions firm focused on healthcare, delivering the first comprehensive review of the Health eGames industry. The report documents a consumer and professional market and outlines 5 major categories for consumer Health eGames including: Exergaming, Brain Fitness, Health Eating, Condition Management and Stress Reduction.
iConecto estimates the Health eGaming market at approximately $7 billion during the next 12 months including the market for brain fitness ($267M), exergaming ($6.4B+) and other Health eGames on the consumer and professional side ($250M+). Much of this new growth is being fueled by Nintendo's launch of the Wii Fit in the U.S. (projected first year sales are 3M units).
It may be surprising to some that the healthcare industry has been among the first to recognize the 'game-changing' potential of games in business and other environments. Leaders in the healthcare sector are now embracing video games as an integral part of a digitally enabled health culture.
"Health eGames" are video games that deliver measurable health benefits. Its is a gaming category that continues to gain accolades from organizations experiencing success by combining digital education, engagement and entertainment to support health and fitness. Health eGames have now been vetted by significant research efforts, and the data shows that people can, in fact, "game" their way to a healthy outcome--whether that be managing diabetes, recovering from cancer, improving eating habits or losing weight. Health eGames include everything from Wii Fit, Brain Age and Dance Dance Revolution to Re-Mission (for teens with Cancer), Juiced Mumble (from Playnormous) and Amazing Food Detective (from Kaiser Permanente). Other pioneers include Robert Wood Johnson, Humana, CIGNA, HopeLab.
Today there are more than 300 consumer focused Health eGames offering an active multimedia video experience across multiple platforms-from personal computers and consoles such as Wii, XBOX and PS2, to online and mobile applications such as iPhone's accelerometer and Nintendo DS. And rapid growth in adoption is being driven by some unexpected demographic segments, including mothers, seniors and even toddlers. [More about Mothers in my next blog...]
So I find it interesting that eGames are not just for the teen and '20 something' market, but represent a much broader and 'game changing' opportunity...Going forward, video games will need to be thought of as a media and not just a product. They have the unique potential to engage consumers and health stakeholders in ways that are very powerful within the context of an online community or social network...
Are we ready to more actively build innovative solutions for engagement and effectiveness with the 200 million monthly gamer community, who cut across all demographic categories, or hold back and run the risk of missing out on one of the most significant social, cultural and technological trends of the next 10 years? What do you think?