What's New @ WEGO Health

Last Wednesday we held two fantastic insight groups with members of the online Women's Health community. Thank you ladies! It was a valuable opportunity to receive candid feedback and have discussions about ways to make the WEGO Health community even better.

We're working diligently to integrate the feedback to develop an even better community to serve and support you. Please stay tuned for updates!

• Have feedback? We'd love to hear from you
• Want to moderate a health community, please contact us
• Curious about the discussion? Join the conversation
  

This past week the world mourned the loss of Michael Jackson. The King of Pop was not only an icon, but left many of us wondering "what is the difference between a heart attack and cariduac arrest"? Amanda, digs a little deeper in Heart Attack v. Cardiac Arrest: Michael Jackson's Passing Sparks an Age-Old Debate.

Upcoming events:

Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists
July 9th 8PM ET
An encore presentation of "Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists" presented by Shwen Gwee, a very active practitioner of social media - who we'll give you a guided tour of some of the most useful third party twitter applications to help you save time, reach more tweeps, and take tweeting to the next level.

In The Know: Short Film Competition
Submissions due by August 1st
Fertility LifeLines™ and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Present The In The Know Short Film Competition. The In The Know Short Film Competition encourages those 7.3 million Americans affected by infertility to share their stories and provide hope and encouragement to others.

Heart Attack v. Cardiac Arrest: Michael Jackson's Passing Sparks an Age-Old Debate

(His music touched our hearts for so many years - and while we play his hits on repeat, let's focus on our hearts, shall we?)When it comes to home improvement, most of us can tell the difference between plumbing problems and electrical problems. Lights out - electrical. Toilet overflow - plumbing. We diagnose and take necessary steps to fix and prevent future problems.

Well imagine a similar analogy, but with your heart. Due to all of the media buzz about the very recent passing of Michael Jackson, everyone was asking - what's the difference between a heart attack and the cardiac arrest? Well, think back to the home improvement thing - it comes down to electrical vs. plumbing.

A heart attack is caused by a "plumbing" problem in the heart. Circulation issues that come when your hearts' arteries are clogged by plaque. Then the blog flood is slowly impeded. Nearly all heart attacks are caused when a blood clot forms on top of the plaque and cuts off blood flow in the already narrow vessel. Symptoms include: discomfort, pressure, heaviness, (chest, arm, breastbone) feeling full, indigestion, a choking/heartburn feeling, discomfort in back jaw throat or arm, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, extreme weakness, anxiety, shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heart beats. If these symptoms last longer than 30 minutes and are not relieved by resting or taking oral drugs - it's most certainly a heart attack and you should get to the hospital!

Heart attack victims are usually hospitalized and administered standard drug therapy (painkillers like morphine, vasodilators like nitroglycerine to expand blood vessels, beta-adrenergic blocker drug to calm the heart, and aspirin to reduce clotting). Sometimes surgery might be needed to remove a clot, reopen an artery, or bypass blocked arteries. Then, during recovery, you change your lifestyle to include more exercise and less salt (among other things).

Now, a cardiac arrest electrical. A sudden cardiac is "a heart rhythm disturbance when the bottom of the heart, the ventricles, beat at an extremely rapid rate (4-600 times a minute)." This heart rhythm stops the bottom chamber from effectively contracting and pumping blood to the brain (and rest of the body). This could result in death with 4-5 minutes. Once the oxygen in the blood vessels stops going to the brain, the brain begins to die.

CPR can help blood stay flowing, but it would take an electrical shock to get the heart back to its normal rhythm. Electrical shocks can be given by electrical paddles (defibrillators - clear!) or from an internal heart device. The heart needs to be restored to its effective contraction. Some symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest include: a racing heartbeat, or dizzy, alerting them that a potentially dangerous heart rhythm problem has started. But in over half of the cases, there are no symptoms! You might not have chest pain, shortness of breath, or anything to warn you.

Cardiac arrest can be caused by a heart attack but not vice versa (square, rectangle). Clearly cardiac arrest is the more severe of the two since you have only a few minutes to get the blood flowing again. Or SCD (sudden cardiac death) can happen.

This is the one Michael Jackson had. He suffered cardiac arrest and was not able to be resuscitated in time. Right now no one is sure what caused this. (Gotta wait on the autopsy to be certain). There is speculation that it involves a combination of pain medication - but we're going to have to wait and see about the specifics.

One of the most popular comments I saw around the web was to the tune of - "he is so young! how could he have cardiac arrest at 50?" But this is not young. In fact, "after accidents (such as car crashes), heart disease is the most common killer of men between the ages of 35 and 44. In men 45 to 54 years old, it’s number one." It's unfortunate that more people don't know this! Women are also just as likely to die of heart-related illness (though they receive less heart treatment than men). And every day nearly 2,500 people die of heart illnesses.

There are things you can do to improve your health - and important that more people know that it's never too early to start. Some sources claim that that people should start being heart-health-conscious around age 20 (a problem for college students who rely on the usual diet of pizza, beer, and sleep). There is so much focus on keeping our "hearts" healthly with love, relationships, and caring. No one likes a broken heart. But fortunately broken hearts can heal - sick, clogged, unhealthy hearts might not. We need to remember that this is a muscle that controls everything - and we've got to treat it right or else!

Find more about heart attacks and cardiac arrest!
• Heart attacks facts, prevention, and treatment, etc.
• Cardic arrest facts, treatment, etc.
• Join the WEGO Health Heart Health Group
• Check out the discussion - "How to calculate your risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years"
• Browse the awesome Heart Health community-rated content!

We Love CureTogether

This Week on WEGO Health Loves: CureTogether

CureTogether is all about open source health research.

There's lots to do at CureTogether - you can track:

• health measures (caloric intake, blood glucose, peak flow, etc).
  
• conditions you're living with (allergies, migraines, and fibromyalgia, to name a few).
• symptoms you've experienced.
• treatments (and dosages) you've tried.

Compiling this data is obviously beneficial if you're looking to better understand your own health, but the great thing about CureTogether (and what makes it "open source health research") is that after contributing this information, you can also see information and data that has been submitted by other members of the CureTogether community. You can see how the severity of your symptoms compares to the community at large, and also learn which treatments they've found to be most effective.

Complimenting all of this excellent information from the community, CureTogether also produces condition-specific crowdsourced books. Check out what they've put together for: Migraine, Endometriosis and Vulvodynia.

And if all that weren't enough to convince you to spend some time over at CureTogether, let me introduce you to their blog: The Collective Well. I love this blog, and not just because I'm a sucker for a great pun - it's well-written, inspiring, and informative. An absolute must-add to any Health Activist's reading list or RSS reader.

Already using CureTogether? Share the love! We'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Wondering what other sites we love?

Pregnancy and Oral Health

In a recent study in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, scientists tracked the results of a new model of prenatal care, which incorporated dental care for a group of women in rural Kentucky.

Oral health is commonly overshadowed by the other forms of care that women require during pregnancy, including doctors visits, ultrasounds, nutritional care, vitamins and smoking cessation. But a mother's dental health is actually a crucial factor for the health of her growing fetus. In fact, studies have shown that mothers with periodontal disease may be up to 7 times more likely to deliver a premature or low birthweight baby. And as most women are unaware that they have a periodontal infection, it is crucial that oral care be attended to in pregnant women.

Authors of the Journal of Health study reported that at the first dental examination nearly 70% of the women had cavities, but by 34-38 weeks oral health had improved considerably. Data from the study also revealed lower rates of preterm birth and low birth weight were observed among participants who had received oral health care than in the general population.

This article lists the following helpful tips on how to maintain good oral health throughout pregnancy:

• Visit your dentist for regular check ups and cleanings. This is the best way to make sure that you are maintaining good oral hygiene.
• Brush your teeth properly at least twice a day to remove plaque.
• Floss your teeth daily. Flossing will remove food debris from in between the teeth that a toothbrush can't reach.
• Use an antimicrobial mouth rinse. Antimicrobial mouth rinses can help prevent gingivitis.
• Brush or scrape your tongue daily to help remove bacteria.
• Eat nutritious meals and healthy snacks.

Have resources or thoughts to share? Join the discussion
For other great discussions, visit our Pregnancy community

Written by Haley Newman, Intern & Tufts University student

Thank you Lisa!

Since January 2009, we've been very lucky to have been joined by Lisa Taylor. You may recognize her from the community, especially in Women's Health. Her talent, enthusiasm and genuine kindness are contagious.

It is with bittersweet excitement that we congratulate Lisa on her big move to the Big Apple. While we are bummed that we won't get to enjoy her presence in the office, we are thrilled for her next big adventure in fashion. NYC is incredibly lucky to get such an amazing gal!

We are forever grateful for her hard work and many contributions to the WEGO Health community. Thank you Lisa - please know that you'll be missed!

Some Pig: Swine Flu Really IS Too Legit to Quit

Back when Swine Flu was a mere piglet, I wrote a blog post about the growing mass hysteria caused by the virus. I'm sure you remember back then, when all of us were completely inundated by everything Swine Flu-related. And then conspiracy theorists emerged. Some blamed the media for trying to incite fear in an attempt at breathing new life into their industry. And honestly, I agreed with them. It felt as though the media wanted to prove its impact on our lives.

And it worked. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing or hearing some mention of the virus. It was a harsh storm that seemed like it would never subside. But then, nearly as quickly as it had begun - the storm died down. The media nearly zipped its lips - and what had been a near-deafening clamor quieted to a dull roar.

But now, nearly a month and a half later, here in Massachusetts we've seen our first Swine Flu death. The pig just won't quit. The flu, itself, has spread worldwide affecting ~76 countries. Here in the States, publications broadcast their death tolls like sports scores: Illinois: 8, Michigan: 5, Connecticut: 4; New York City: 23. The flu has caused about 1,600 hospitalizations and about 45 deaths in the USA alone. Other articles approximate the worldwide total - Swine Flu: 163.

What's confusing is that it seems to be getting worse. Apparently, now nearly 90% of all flu cases tested nationally are of the Swine, H1N1 variety. What started as a small blip on the radar has really become an official pandemic. Some believe that the reason it has spread is because the initial outbreak among healthcare workers was not handled correctly or diagnosed early enough.

What's strange is that regular flu and H1N1 share the same symptoms. And like the regular flu, the Swine variety should theoretically only turn deadly when it infects those whose immune systems are already compromised. The elderly, babies, and those with underlying illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease are the ones being hospitalized.

For those who have contracted the virus, the symptoms mimic the seasonal flu: fever, cough, aches, and pains, but no serious side effects and, in many cases, no visit to the doctor. And while most of these cases don't turn into life-or-death situations - there is a chance that these people could infect others who could possibly die from it. Swine Flu fights dirty. It kicks you hardest you when you're already down.

This is exactly why hospitals need to take specific precautions to keep those with the flu quarantined. Hospitals have such a range of susceptible patients. “Infectious patients should be identified at the front door,” Dr. Michael Bell says, “identifying them up front is essential.”
From there, hospitals should:

• put infectious patients in single rooms
• cover their mouth and nose with masks
• alert staff members to wear protection and wash their hands
• do medical procedures in pressurized rooms where no air escapes into corridors

I can't help but think that these "new" procedures sound very similar to the usual hospital fare.

And though there are still new reports daily about Swine Flu outbreaks - it's important that we maintain composure despite the inclination to panic. We have to try our best look for good news - because it does exist. For example, last Friday, Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG announced that they had successfully produced a first batch of Swine Flu Vaccine - weeks before expected. Other drugmakers are also producing shots to prevent the virus. These vaccines will be available for sale later this September.

The US Dept of Health and Human Services placed a $289 million order for the vaccine in May. And this week, Sanofi-Aventis SA promised to donate 100 million doses of swine-flu vaccine to the W.H.O to insure that poor nations also have access to the vaccine. Other companies are donating millions of vaccines too, which is great news for less affluent countries. Real proof that we're watching out for each other worldwide.

And until the pig has finally been cooked - we can guarantee the media will be chattering, spreading talk of the flu everywhere. Ie: "Swine flu wedding: Flu can't stop lovesick couple".

But all we can really do is keep washing our hands, eat healthy, rest up, and at most - avoid public gatherings and stay home from work if we're feeling a bit off. It's even possible that the impending hot, humid days of summer could stop the virus from spreading in the USA and Mexico.

Join the discussion!

source, source, source, source, source

How to Handle Difficult Doctors

In the New York Times article, "Letting the Patient Call the Shots," Dr. Pauline W. Chen describes "patient centered care" as a medical model in which "shared decision making [between doctor and patient] would be made mandatory in all areas of care, with patient preference occasionally putting evidence-based care 'in the back seat."

The "patient centered" model has begun to gain recognition as an increasing number of stories have surfaced from patients who feel that their individual experiences are diminished by doctors with little time, who are encouraged to make rushed, clear-cut diagnoses.

At present, however, it remains often difficult for patients with chronic illnesses or rare diseases to find a physician who is supportive and open to considering the patient's opinions. And this problem is not merely the fault of the doctor; As Dr. Chen points out, the "system around clinicians makes it impossible to customize care the way it needs to be. We don't have s standard of services or processes that are comfortable for the patients. We have built a technocratic castle, and when people come into it, they are intimidated."

Although it can be intimidating to stand up to a physician this may be the first step toward optimum care. Here are some suggestions on “How to handle a Difficult Doctor,” courtesy of the WEGO Health Dystonia Community:

• Try to approach the problem with the goal of reorganizing the office appointment to reduce friction, instead of attempting to prove who is right and who is wrong
• Write out questions before an appointment. Acting professionally is crucial to creating an atmosphere of equality.
• Listening is critical, not only to what the physician says but how he or she says it. Sometimes defensiveness is a sign that the doctor is frustrated by results, not that he or she doesn’t acknowledging your challenges.
• Be Assertive. Confront the problem head on without being confrontational. "The first rule of assertiveness is to use your words, not your tone of voice, to express your message. In other words, do not sound angry or annoyed as you assert your point.
• Sometimes a friendly office environment isn't enough. In this case, it may be necessary to have a formal discussion, or even an intervention, with the difficult physician. If intervention is necessary, consult with a social worker or behavioral health specialist about ways to approach a problem without making the guilty party go on the defensive. Remember, compromise is imperative.

Written by Haley Newman, WEGO Health Intern. Haley Newman is a Community Health and Asian Studies Major at Tufts University. She aspires to someday become a caring physician and anthropologist. For fun Haley enjoys running by the ocean, yoga, guitar, photography, reading, writing, sushi and listening to people tell stories.

What's New @ WEGO Health

Maybe the better question is - what isn't new. Last week was a busy one. Clearly the rain didn't dampen our moods or our productivity. Here's a quick run down of all that happened:

Haley wrote a touching and informative post about Silent Illnesses, which included a look at The Spoon Theory as well as resources and support available to those impacted by such illnesses.

Amanda wrote, "Seasonal Allergies Attack!", reminding us that "[A]llergies are everywhere and WEGO Health is no exception! Since Spring sprung a few weeks ago - we've had a lot of great discussions and blog posts about itchy eyes, sneezing fits, and prevalent tissue piles (read full)."

Speaking of allergies, are you an allergy sufferer that seeks, or offers, allergy advice online? Then we want you. Recruitment is under way for a paid focus group for seasonal allergy sufferers. Please see full event posting for additional information and to complete a short survey to be eligible for participation.

We hate to brag, but we are totally loving our WEGO Health Loves series (and we hope that you are too). Last week we spotlighted the amazing work of Stirrup Queens. Stay tuned for this week's edition where we will be featuring CureTogether.

Lots on our plates this week. Expect some great Women's Health related pieces and details about an encore performance of our very popular Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists webinar.

It's not boring around here that's for sure!


Photo courtesy of Roger Smith via Flickr

Paid Focus Group (Online & Phone) for Seasonal Allergy Sufferers

In our ongoing work to empower Health Activists, we are holding Community Insight Groups - online focus groups - for people who are active contributors to the online seasonal allergy community.

We are holding Insight Groups on Tuesday, June 23rd for people who suffer from seasonal allergies AND are active contributors or frequent visitors to health care communities. Insight groups will be held at noon and 6pm Eastern Time. All participants will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Please note: These groups will take one hour and are held remotely. Participants can join from anywhere in the country, but will required to be online and on the phone at the same time.

Not sure if you’re an active contributor? We’re looking for people who participate in online discussion forums, question & answer sites, blogs, Twitter, etc.

If you are interested, please complete a short survey to be eligible for participation.

You will be contacted, if you are a good match for this study. For additional information please contact us. All participants will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Check out a few great WEGO Health links on Seasonal Allergies:

• Join the Allergy Group
• Participate in the How can I Predict My Seasonal Allergies? Discussion
• Read about Sarah's experience in This one time...in 5th grade and share your own
• Comment on Lisa's post Global Warming is Making Me Sneeze!
• Learn more how seasonal allergies can affect your eating habits: Food-Pollen Allergy Syndrome
• Don't miss Amanda's recent post, Seasonal Allergies Attack!
  

Seasonal Allergies Attack!

Allergies are everywhere and WEGO Health is no exception! Since Spring sprung a few weeks ago - we've had a lot of great discussions and blog posts about itchy eyes, sneezing fits, and prevalent tissue piles.

Have you noticed that this year your seasonal allergies are worse than ever? You're not alone. In fact, some say that this year seasonal allergies are at an all time high! Some say allergy attacks started a month earlier in 2009 than 2008!

Photo courtesy of code poet

As plants and trees bloom and flower earlier each year due to climate changes, the pollen gets more unbearable. In places where the weather shifts from cold to warm really fast - the plants get confused and often release their pollen all at once, causing an allergy overload! Did your city make The Worst Cities for Spring Allergies 2009 list?

Here are a few tips to try:

• Use an air conditioner to filter the air (even using the fan on your AC unit can help keep pollen out of the house)
• Try to avoid outdoor activities at peak pollen times (early morning and late afternoon). If you want to exercise or be outside - midday is the best (between noon & 2pm).
• Switch up your shower routine: washing your hair or bathing before bed gets pollen off you so you won't be sleeping with it.
• Wash your sheets and pillowcases weekly. This is a good way to get rid an environment of pollen and dust mites (which can trigger allergies all year round!)
• Check out webmd's comprehensive How To Survive Spring Allergy Season
  

Check out these WEGO Health links to great content on Seasonal Allergies:

• Join the Allergy Group
• Participate in the How can I Predict My Seasonal Allergies? Discussion
• Read about Sarah's experience in This one time...in 5th grade and share your own
• Comment on Lisa's post Global Warming is Making Me Sneeze!
• Learn more how seasonal allergies can affect your eating habits: Food-Pollen Allergy Syndrome

We Love Stirrup Queens

Here at WEGO Health we're always looking for great new resources - sites we know our community members will find helpful and informative. So we've created a new series, "WEGO Health Loves", to share some of our favorite sites for Health Activists.

Check back every week to see our latest crush. We hope you love them just as much as we do!

This Week on WEGO Health Loves: Stirrup Queens






During a recent podcast interview with Kelly Damron, author of the book Tiny Toes, we candidly discussed the challenges faced by women who are experiencing infertility. Specifically the need for information that is not always available in a society that may not be supportive or sympathetic to the conversation.

Enter Melissa (Mel) Ford of Stirrup Queens. Stirrup Queens has carved out a space full of life, information and support as well as the brutal, yet critical, honesty required by those of us who have experienced or are currently experiencing struggles with infertility. Mel's passion and spirit is undeniable. It jumps off the site and makes challenging conversations with difficult topics open for discussion in a safe and nurturing way.

You don't understand, so let me explain.

We thought we'd be able to have children and then we couldn't.

It wasn't a choice to enter into treatments/adoption/donor gametes; it wasn't an option.

Having a child may feel like a choice to you, but it isn't to us.

You and I will need to disagree on that, because you'll never change our feelings about having a family be a need over a want.

Excerpt from A Stirrup Queen's Manifesto

The site itself boasts an impressive array of resources and is perhaps one of the most comprehensive sources of infertility information. It covers a myriad of issues that impact women who are trying to conceive including the more heart wrenching topics of loss, disappointment and the ever-growing list of reproductive options available.

In addition to the website, you can find Stirrup Queens on Twitter (@stirrupqueen) - and an online community devoted to the conversation. The honesty of the community is striking and it's impossible not to feel a connection with these women. Stirrup Queens is not only an impressive repository, but a safe place for women struggling with infertility to support one another through the journey. Thank you Stirrup Queens - many of us couldn't do it without you!


Wait, wait! There's more. Wondering what other sites we love?

Upcoming Focus Group: Women with Birth Control Experiences (Online & Phone)

In our ongoing work to empower Health Activists, we are holding Community Insight Groups - online focus groups - for people who are active contributors to the online birth control community.

We are holding focus groups in July for women who are currently using birth control, or have in the past. All participants will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. If you are interested, please stay tuned for details. The confirmed date and next steps will be posted soon.

Please note: These groups will take one hour and are held remotely. Participants can join from anywhere in the country, but will required to be online and on the phone at the same time.

For additional information please contact us.

Did you miss this month's Women's Health Newsletter? Read more about the "feature conversation" going on now in the Women's Health Group.

Are menstrual periods a thing of the past? With so many new oral contraceptives on the market promising fewer periods, this question has sparked an interesting discussion about women's health. Do we need our periods? What are the costs and benefits of taking a pill to eliminate them?

» What do you think? Join the conversation
» Have questions or info to share about Birth Control? Join the Women's Health Group

Silent Illnesses: How to Explain it to Others and Find the Support That's Right for You

Modern biomedicine is rife with dilemma. Cells and DNA, hormones, lesions and blood counts are agents of the biomedical diagnosis that often explain a condition as if it were analyzed outside of the patient's body—like a weed that can be uprooted before it begins to envelop the garden. Yet illnesses are not just pathological processes to be understood and explained solely through the lens of a microscope or the language of science.

In "Living With a Hidden Illness,"Alison Potts describes the pain of hiding her Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune condition, which has caused her to feel like she has a permanent case of the flu and tainted her memory, arresting her paramount passion for writing. But because these symptoms are hidden, Potts is frequently probed about the reality of her condition.

In “The Spoon Theory,” Christine Miserandino recalls an instance when she used 12 spoons to explain to a friend what life is like living with Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that often causes extreme fatigue, headaches, anemia and chronic pain. Christina’s spoon theory sprung from her struggle to find the right words:

“I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table…I explained that the difference between being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted.”

After Christina gave her friend 12 spoons, she then broke down every daily task that drains her energy (a spoon), like showering, brushing her teeth and putting her clothes on. Six spoons were gone before her friend had even theoretically left for work. Christina’s story suggests that perhaps when language fails there may be other ways of sharing what life is like living with an invisible illness.

Last year I got to know a charming seven-year-old named Gwendolyn who has Mitochondrial Disease. Like Christina, Gwen’s energy is limited and wanes with movement. I wrote an article about her in which Kim, Gwen’s mother, says she wishes she could hand out the lessons of her daughter’s disease on a silver platter:

“Going to the beach requires an entire day of preparation: scheduling her meds so that she’ll be unhooked from her IV for two hours, taping up her chest, having to do a painful dressing change afterwards, carrying all her supplies, bringing a nurse. All for the joy of those two hours. It’s all worth it. It makes every time you do something so utterly powerful.”

For Kim solace has come from sharing her daughter’s story. In 2006 she became President of MitoAction, a grassroots organization dedicated to educate and advocate for families living with Mitochondrial Disease.

While the journey is tough, there are resources and support available to individuals, and families, affected with silent illnesses:

• When words fail, symbols or images can help with explanations: "spoon theory" or “a vacant lot”
• If you can’t tell everyone, try finding one trustworthy friend or family member with whom to share your experience
• Look for a community like WEGO Health to meet others who share your condition
• Try writing a “dear disease” letter, like the Dystonia community did, to express your feelings, thoughts and frustrations

These are just a few ideas to help, but no matter what diagnosis a person is given, nothing is black and white and there are thousands of different ways people learn to live with hidden illness. Please share your thoughts on how you have learned or are learning to live with your health condition and tailor strategies to your personal needs!


Written by Haley Newman, WEGO Health Intern. Haley Newman is a Community Health and Asian Studies Major at Tufts University. She aspires to someday become a caring physician and anthropologist. For fun Haley enjoys running by the ocean, yoga, guitar, photography, reading, writing, sushi and listening to people tell stories.

Another Successful WEGO Health Webinar!

Thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday for our successful presentation on “Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists” – our second in series of webinars. We had a great turn out!

WEGO Health was honored to have guest presenter, Shwen Gwee (founder of Social Pharmer Unconference and Network) share some exciting tips, tricks, and applications to take tweeting to the next level.

Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists

View more OpenOffice presentations from Wego Health.

Takeaways:

• Hashtags are a great feature for identifying tweets & increasing search accuracy (visit Hashtags.org for ideas of some of the most popular hashtags)
• TweetDeck and HootSuite are helpful tools for managing tweets, followers, direct messages, and more!
• TwitScoop, TweetMeme and Twendz are useful apps to find out what’s “hot” and trendy in Twitter at any moment
• URL Shorteners (TinyURL, bit.ly, owl.ly) are a great way to make the best of URLs within your Tweets – allowing you to direct followers to full text elsewhere (e.g. a blog or website)
• Attend TweetUps! When you meet and interact face to face, it’s like you’re already old friends!

WEGO Health would like to send out a huge thank you to Shwen for joining us and sharing all of his incredible Twitter expertise - we all learned something new!


Written by Lisa Taylor, Community Leader at WEGO Health

Spotlight Interview with Dr. Simotas

Dr. Simotas has been blogging with Her Health, a section of the Houston Chronicle, since 2006. When Dr. Simotas isn't mothering her daughter, delivering other babies or treating sexually transmitted diseases, you can also find her blogging or hosting her monthly women's health call-in show on KPFT.

Where did your interest in women's health begin? 

I grew up in a family of four girls - no brothers. My father always taught us that women can do anything they want in this world. I wanted to empower women with that knowledge and as a Ob/Gyn I can be there for them from puberty to menopause. I wanted to make it comfortable for them to ask me questions that they would be too embarrassed  to ask elsewhere.

What are some of your favorite topics to blog about? 

I enjoy blogging about topics that are controversial or confusing to the average person. Topics that need someone with a medical background to clarify. I like to expose the ugly side of medicine, the use of bioidentical hormones that doctors are pushing, even though they don't have any medical basis.  They make a lot of money off of feeding patients' fears.

Are these the same topics you discuss on your radio show? 

I want to give people a look at medicine that they would never see. A look "behind closed doors", if you will. I expose the things in medicine that the average patient would not know. For instance, many patients are pressured into banking cord blood, but what they don't know is that doctors are being paid to push this service. I want to inform patients about conflicts of interests that exist out there and to educate and empower them with knowledge.

What's the best feedback you've received on your work? 

I was honored to receive positive feedback and encouragement from Stacey Foxwell of NPR. She encouraged me a year ago to keep working on getting a "buzz" going in Houston. Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle gave me the biggest compliment when he said that I "don't talk like a doctor". Silverman says that I have a good voice because I talk to my callers on their level, without being condescending. I also get great feedback from our program director Ernesto Aguilar of KPFT, who is always gracious enough to give our show air time.

What gives you hope about the future of women's health? Are there facets that scare you? 

Women are becoming more and more knowledgeable and taking control of their own bodies. I love it when I have a patient that wants a second or third opinion. I also love it when they come to me with articles and information that they read about and want clarification.

The only piece of medicine that scares me is that as reimbursement becomes less and less, doctors are turning away from the fields that they loved so much and are getting mixed up with selling products that they don't believe in (many doctors now sell diet pills, bioidentical hormones and vitamins in their office).

Why should people read your writing at Her Health or call into your show? 

My medical call-in show is honest and informative. I never tell patients to call my office for an opinion. I tell it is like it is. My mission is to educate and empower, never to promote myself or manipulate the truth.

Interested in learning more about Dr. Simotas and her specialties? Read more on her website, or her blog with Her Health. If you have a women's health question for Dr. Simotas, why not giver her a call during her Thursday radio shows with KPFT?

We love Zeer

Here at WEGO Health we're always looking for great new resources - sites we know our community members will find helpful and informative.  So we've created a new series, "WEGO Health Loves", to share some of our favorite sites for Health Activists.  

Check back every week to see our latest crush.  We hope you love them just as much as we do!

This Week on WEGO Health Loves: Zeer

Zeer's goal is to help you buy better groceries.

To do this, they've created a huge database of product information - ingredients and nutritional information on all kinds of foods you might find at the grocery store.

But all this information is really only the beginning.  Members use this database to find products they've tried, and review them.  

Now, you've got the perfect mix of information at your finger tips: facts & figures from the company + opinions of people who've actually tasted the product.

The greatest part about Zeer, and what I think will be most exciting to Health Activists out there, are the Communities.  They've got a whole category for people dealing with food allergies (and another section for food intolerances), as well as groups set up for diabetics, women who are TTC or expecting, people on low-carb diets, and many, many more.

As a member of one of these communities, you can recommend specific products to other members, ask questions, or discuss relevant community issues.  The Peanut Allergy Community, for example, has discussions about traveling with peanut allergies, questions about peanut and tree-nut free ice cream, and recommendations for everything from peanut-free cake decorations to the best peanut-free frozen pizzas.

If you aren't a member of Zeer yet - what are you waiting for?  Check them out today!  

Who knows, you might even run into some of your favorite WEGO Health Activists.

What we're reading

Looking for a few good articles about health (and social media)?  Here's what we've been reading at WEGO Health lately:

• Clay Shirky: Physicians and Patients Need to Fuse their Online Conversations - This is a great little write up of Dr. Val's recent meeting with new media guru Clay Shirky.
• The Cost Conundrum - Atul Gawande ponders how a small town in Texas could end up with the most expensive health care in the country.  What he finds, and what it means for health care reform in America might surprise you.
• New Twitter Research: Men Follow Men and Nobody Tweets - Lots of interesting tidbits in this article, particularly some unexpected information about Twitter and Gender.  The fact that "the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one" didn't surprise me, but the comparison to Wikipedia did!
• My Brief Life as a Woman - Dana Jennings describes what it's like to be a man going through (Lupron-induced) menopause.  You read that right.  It's a short, sweet blog post about the effects hormones have on us all.
• Why Your Next Physicians Visit May be Just a Click Away - Great reporting in the Boston Globe about virtual medicine in the US.  Would you use virtual medicine?  Join the conversation on WEGO Health.

What are you reading this week?