Each week Fard Johnmar, Envision Solutions' founder, offers insight, information and commentary on healthcare-related issues on his blogs HealthCareVox and Envisioning 2.0.   Click the links below to read some of the best posts from both Weblogs.

Paying Attention To The "Third Screen"
In August 2007, SNL Kagan reported that 84% of Americans own at least one cell phone. With mobile penetration so high, it is an ideal channel for reaching a broad range of consumers with health messages. Read the following articles to get the skinny on why it is critical for health communicators to pay attention to the third screen.

-Qualcomm Exec Talks About The “Health Phone” Of The Future

-Hard Numbers Quantify iPhone’s Impact On Mobile Web

-How The iPhone Will Make Mobile Health Communications Richer & More Effective

Debating Consumerism In The US & Abroad

There are still many policymakers and experts who doubt whether patients (and others) can ever become informed "consumers" of health services.  Despite this, managed care organizations, government agencies and employers have taken steps to encourage patients to assume more financial responsibility for their care.

The following blog posts focus on:

-The continuing debate over whether "consumer driven" health plans are working as intended

-How affluent British citizens are challenging the government's commitment to provide everyone with the same menu of health services

Will Privacy Be The Achilles' Heel Of The Healthcare Social Media Revolution?

Recently marketers have watched in trepidation as the federal government debated how it would regulate behavioral targeting.  This practice refers to the use of consumer data (such as online search habits) to deliver highly relevant advertising to Internet users.   In April 2008, the Federal Trade Commission noted that it will rely on "self-regulation" to ensure that advertisers take adequate steps to protect consumer privacy. 

Yet, with all of the focus on behavioral targeting, less has been said about the privacy implications of efforts to monetize social media sites like Facebook.  For example, marketers are looking for ways to leverage user information, behaviors and relationships to sell products. 

While this activity is necessary, a major privacy breach could set back efforts to leverage social media technologies to improve health.  Click here to read an article on this topic developed by Envision Solutions for the January 2008 edition of MD Net Guide.

NPR Highlights Debate Over Medical Blogging

Do medical blogs threaten patient privacy? In March 2008, National Public Radio (NPR) turned to Envision Solutions for commentary on this issue.  Click here to listen to NPR's broadcast.