TogoRun invited the health community, communicators, social media mavens, and government officials to join us for a panel discussion about digital innovation and public health. Panelists discussed how US adults with chronic disease are utilizing the internet for health information, how public hospitals and health systems are using digital mediums to reach their local communities and the larger medical community, and how digital tools are being used to impact public health in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

A recap of the event is available at TogoRun’s website , along with video of the event (also embedded below).

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Panelists discussed:

  • How chronic disease sufferers in the US are finding health information online
  • How public hospitals are using digital tools to reach their communities and change behaviors
  • Successful methods for transforming public health within a specific population through smart digital strategies

The hashtag #digitalhealth was utilized for this discussion.

Date

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
4:00 ā€“ 5:30pm

Location

Pew Research Center
1615 L Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036 [map]

About the panelists

Dr. Val Jones, Better HealthĀ | Moderator

Val Jones, M.D., is the President and CEO of Better Health, LLC. Most recently she was the Senior Medical Director of Revolution Health, a consumer health portal with over 120 million page views per month in its network. Prior to her work with Revolution Health, Val served as the founding editor of Clinical Nutrition & Obesity, a peer-reviewed e-section of the online Medscape Journal of Medicine.

Val is the author of the popular blog, ā€œDr. Val and the Voice of Reason,ā€ which won The Best New Medical Blog award in 2007. She is now the anchor blogger of the Better Health blog. She is also an editor of the Science Based Medicine blog and a contributor to The Health Care Blog. Her cartoons have been featured at Medscape, the P&S Journal, and the Placebo Journal. She was inducted as a member of the National Press Club in July, 2008 and is a regular contributor to ABC News Channel 8 in Washington, DC. A graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Val practices part time primary care medicine with the DocTalker Family Medicine group in Vienna, Virginia.

Susannah Fox,Ā Pew InternetĀ | Panelist

Susannah Fox studies the cultural shifts taking place at the intersection of technology and health care. Her survey research has documentedĀ the social life of health information as well as the role of the internet among people living with chronic disease. Health professionals, friends, and family members remain central, but Dr. Google and online patient communities are gaining in influence. Patients and the people who love them are not just a target audience, but a resource for innovation and knowledge. Susannah contributes to a health care blog, e-patients.net, and you can follow her on Twitter: @SusannahFox.

Susannah is the former editor of the website for U.S. News & World Report, winner of the 2001 National Magazine Award for General Excellence in New Media. She has also worked as a researcher for RealNetworks and for The Harwood Group. Fox graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in anthropology.

Erin Enke, TogoRunĀ | Panelist

Erin Enke is Vice President and Manager of Digital Communications at TogoRun. She has over 10 years of experience in the healthcare and digital communications arena. Erin specializes in creating online strategies and new media campaigns for healthcare clients. Her work takes advantage of her experience in digital strategic planning, online mapping, issues research and analysis, and persuasive writing.

Erin has unique U.S. and global digital expertise with experience in developing digital news hubs/online press kits, optimized new media press releases, online key-influencer media lists, and unbranded Web sites and strategies for appropriately using new media and online viral campaigns to target key audiences online while working appropriately within the FDA and EMEA regulatory guidelines.

Maya Linson,Ā National Association of Public Hospitals & Health SystemsĀ | Panelist

Maya Linson is the Communications Specialist/Web Content Coordinator for the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism masterā€™s program at Northwestern University, Maya has expertise in new media storytelling, as well as media business management. She is passionate about using social media to engage individuals and spark significant change ā€“ be it to improve our health, the environment or both.

Anne Woodbury, TogoRunĀ | Introduction

Anne Woodbury has dedicated her career to creating and executing multifaceted public affairs campaigns that build brand reputation, strengthen stakeholder relationships, demonstrate thought leadership, and ultimately influence government and customer decision making. Anneā€™s work with hundreds of companies and NGOs combines her broad knowledge of healthcare policy with issue depth in health reform, health information technology, diabetes, consumer focused healthcare, and patient safety.

Anne began her career on Capitol Hill working with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, giving her a unique front seat to what is arguably the most politically charged era in recent American history. She was on the management team that designed and launched the Center for Health Transformation, one of Americaā€™s most influential healthcare coalitions, and where she served as chief health advocate. She also served as director at the American Enterprise Institute. Anne co-authored Saving Lives & Saving Money: Transforming Health and Healthcare in 2003 which gained endorsements by leaders across the political spectrum.