Short Films Provide Medical Education

When a healthcare provider wants information about a new disease or medical topic, a short film can provide information as well as entertainment. Many pharmaceutical firms produce short films that increase brand awareness and educate the healthcare provider abour specific products.

As men age, they develop slowing down of many functions. Some take antihypertensives and cholesterol lowering medications. A combination of disease, injury, and side effects of medication causes Erectile Dysfunctions. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer produced a short film on Erectile Dysfunction narrated by the author of The Hardness Factor, Dr. Steven Lamm at www.theharnessfactor.com/program. It gives men information about sexual health and the use of medication such as Viagra to reduce the ravages of ED. The short film educates yet increases brand awareness of Viagra, www.viagra.com.

The Center for Disease Control, CDC, announced that 25% of youths are overweight, according to www.dcd.org. Public Health Departments, schools, and pharmaceutical companies have joined efforts to reduce obesity. In a grant form the pharmaceutical company, Abbott Laboratories, Optima Educational Solutions produced short films and programs to educated healthcare providers about Managing the Treatment of Obesity at www.optimaed.com. Ken Fugioka reports on the benefits of pharmacotherapy in addition to diet and exercise.

In order for most physicians to maintain a medical license, they must receive training in End of Life Care and the Management of Pain, according to the West Virginia Board of Medicine at www.wvdhhr.org/wvbom. Primeda Healthcare markets education through programs and short films. Patients embrace the idea of dying well, without pain or discomfort. The short film, End of Life Care, discusses products to make patients comfortable. Doctors interview patients who explain their prespective on pain and end of life issues. Death is not a four letter word, according to program 444-0014 at www.primedahealthcare.org.

During the Golden Age of Medicine, physicians practiced medicine and patients believed what they said, according to www.ama.org.  Once lawyers realized they could get very rich off suing doctors, physicians had to purchase malpractice insurance. There is no longer a Golden Age of Medicine. At the local hospital there were hardly any surgeons. The local attorneys sued most of the local surgeons and they left. Nurse practitioners replaced physicians, however, patients still need surgeons to set fractures, remove appendix, and insert pacemakers. Many patients must fly or be transported to large medical centers for life saving procedures since few surgeons practice at the local hospital. Malpractice insurance is very high. The AMA, American Medical Association warned doctors not to practive in West Virginia because of the litigenous climate.

The West Virginia State Medical Association, WSMA, produced a short film, Putting Medical Malpractice into Perspective, in which Michael Markaretz MD discusses the current issues in medical malpractice with Evan Jenkins, Executive Director of WVSMA. Jane Cline, Insurance Commissioner explains the inpact of recent tort reform, www.wvsma.org.

Short films educate physicians on a variety of topics and increase brand awareness of medical products.

Shorts Films of Interest to Physicians

This is a short film found on http://www.Youtube.com produced by Liberty Mutual.

 

Many older physicians will remember when short films were common. During a political campaign, a few months before the election, politicians would make short films to explain their platform. These were the days when there was a 6:00 pm news program, and not 24 hour CNN converage for the four year election cycle.

The marketing short films tell stories. They entertain with a hero who wants something, who takes action, that leads to a conflict, a climax, and then a resolution.

Many physicians enjoy foreign vehicles. When the local radiologist wanted to purchase a BMW, he collectd 8 BMW short films from www.imediacollection.com and www.bmw.com which helped him make a choice. Since he travels on several sinuous roads, he needs a vehicle that manages curves and maneuvers well. Watching “The Hire” was entertaining and it demonstrated the features needed in a vehicle that travels on narrow mountainous roads. He loves the BMW and the films were good marketing tools.

When the American Academy of Thermology had its annual conference in New York City, several physicians stayed at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel. Since the meeting started early, the physicians and business partners found the breakfast display delicious and convenient. After spending all day at the conference, they enjoyed returning to the fitness center, pool, and evening meal. To draw in younger clients, Ritz-Carlton put in a business center, computer stations, and Starbuck’s bar as seen in their short film found at www.ritzcarlton.com. They strive to meet every travelers’ needs.

 

In the parking lot at the hospitals are many Volvo’s. One doctor who enjoys skiing likes the compartment for the skiis that runs from the trunk and continues under the seats in his Volvo. Because of the low center of gravity, it does well on snow. Volvo’s short movie, “The Route V50″ shows off a beautiful car. It stars Robert Downey, Jr. at www.rowtree.com/2008/06/02/robert-downey-jr-in-volvo-short-film/. From a place called Doubt, he seeks a town called Confidence. The Volvo is spectacular, and the film engages the viewer with the plot, scenery, and search.

Doctors buy plenty of insurance. From Liberty Mutual short films the physician can view several products plus understand the philosophy of Liberty Mutual. This insurance company offers personal liability, home insurance, life and automobile insurance. Liberty Mutual wants to improve our lives through actions. In their Personal Responsibility Program, they developed several short films to raise awareness about the company and philosophy at www.responsibilityproject.com/.

Short films give more time to look at a product and be entertained.

Mobile Messages to Children

 

Pediatricians and Public Health doctors spend their careers protecting children form disease and harm. We warn parents to immunize their children and teach them not to talk to strangers. We worry about Internet stalking and urge the parents to monitor Internet usage. Plenty of children have and use cell phones. We urge parents to monitor the advertising form cell phones. Most advertising will be opt-in and www.mmaglobal.com explains that 89% of businesses utilize mobile marketing. The child should not reveal personal information such as address or age.

 

When Warner Brothers produce another episode from Star Wars or Harry Potter, the release could easily be made using mobile messaging technology in addition to online, www.warnerbros.com. Children want to attend the premier event. As long as the parents opt in, the child can receive these promotions. Because of staking, children should not give marketers permission. Also children have trouble discerning fact from advertising.

 

When children are artistic, they might want to try children’s theatre. An opt in list is crucial so that when the mobile messages come in, they are for real rehearsals, practices, and programs. Schools and after school programs will find mobile marketing a big savings of personnel time and resources. Watch dog groups will help maintain integrity of opt in especially for children, www.mobilemarketingwatch.com. Parents need to supervise cellular phone content.

 

Wireless Week explains that 90% of wireless subscribers will accept advertising if the content is free at www.wirelessweek.com.

  This free service puts children at risk of receiving inappropriate advertising message, not just movie releases, practice times, and equipment orders. Adults listen to 3000 messages a day and have learned to tune out marketing messages. Children will learn this skill with school and parental guidance. Of the 200 million cell phone users in America, 55 million are under age 20.  Parents must assist children in discerning the truth of mobile messaging.

 

Medical Mobile Messages

Over 89% of companies market by mobile messages as I read in www.mmaglobal.com. This week I found uses for mobile medical messages. A Public Health Department could message parents with small children that it is time to come in for immunizations. Though all health care providers must comply with HIPPA, there is some information that is not private. The CDC recommends 24 immunizations by the time a child is four. Other immunizations are important for populations at risk such as diabetics and aging, (www.cdc.org.) Mobile messages could be used for follow-up. The day after an immunization, the health department or physician office could text a message, “How are you today? Did you have any problem with the immunization?”

 

A pharmaceutical company such as Wyeth could text message patients who have questions about hormone replacement or immunizations, since this pharmaceutical company supplies both. Following a law suit against Wyeth, 5,000 women claimed that Estrogen Replacement caused them to have breast cancer. Their customer service has been inundated with questions online at www.wyeth.com. Wyeth could send mobile message to answer questions and provide resources.

 

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer came out with Chantix, a prescription medication to stop smoking at www.chantix.com. To assist smokers in this difficult task, they created a GETQUIT Support Plan at www.getqut.com. Because nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult to break, the GETQUIT program would benefit from cellular messaging. Smokers need a lot of support as they start this life altering program to better health.

 

Patients have many health concerns. A doctor’s visit will maintain confidential personal information. Sometimes a patient has a question about a symptom or a medication that a pharmacist or pharmaceutical company could answer. PriCara manufactures Ultram ER and developed a questionnaire called, “Pain, A Hidden Sleep Thief.” They discovered that 20% of adults have pain that disrupts sleep. The company provides brochures, information, and a Web site, www.ultram-er.com. Many questions about pain can be answered by a pharmacist or a pharmaceutical company by mobile messages. Some questions will concern cost or side effects, suitable for cellular messaging.

 

Where are Healthy Breakfast Foods?

 

While surfing the web I came across numerous Web sites that market breakfast foods. If the Web site markets to children, parents need to monitor the content, limit time on the site, and caution children about marketing vs. education. Video games lure children to Web sites that market breakfast foods to them. Parents need to help children eat a healthy breakfast, the most important meal of the day.

 

Quaker Oats seem to demonstrate good results when customers eat oatmeal for breakfast. When they add raisins or blueberries, they obtain fruit and dairy servings to the grain serving. Benjamin Franklin lived to be 84, and his likeness is on the Web site and Quaker Oats packages to indicate that Quaker Oats will add to longevity. Even though he was born into a Quaker family, he did not embrace the religion. www.quakeroats.com will give nutritional information on this excellent, time-honored breakfast food. Busy mothers like the Quaker Oats Bars for snacks as well as breakfast.

 

For more than 30 years Lucky Charms is an oat cereal with colorful marshmallows has been poured into cereal bowls. When milk is added a grain and dairy serving is breakfast. The Web site entices children with games and activities at www.luckycharms.millsbury.com. After 15 minutes of activities, a warning occurs to go outside and play. Children can spend hours on free Internet games. This reminder might get them out of the house or apartment for some outdoor activity. Children are becoming obese by inactivity and improper food selections. Parents need to purchase healthy breakfast foods.

 

Schools once provided vitamin enriched milk for students. Now many schools provide flavored milk. Parents need to avoid chemicals, artificial flavorings, and excess sugar in dairy products. Children who will not drink milk will with additions of Hershey syrup, Nesquik, and Ovaltine. The Nesquik Web site, www.nesquik.com draws children with activities and video games. Pediatricians feel that video games are addictive, and they feel that children cannot discern marketing from education.

 

When parents feel rushed in the morning, they find products like Pop Tarts helpful. They load the children in the car, pass out Pop Tarts, and they eat them on the way to school or church. A Pop Tart is 225 calories of carbohydrate and sugar. To keep the brand alive for children, Pop Tarts have over 25 video games and activities on the Web site, www.poptarts.com. While they play Cinnamon drag Race or avoid being eaten by alligators in Swamp Watch, the video games keep them on this branded Web site.

 

Parents need to help children make healthy choices for breakfast so that they will perform well in school.

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Medically Monitored Children’s Web sites

 

 

As I surf the Web, I encounter numerous Web sites that market to children. The FCC has numerous guidelines for marketing to children. Marketers need to follow ethical practices when children are targets of their campaigns.

 

I know several autistic children who respond to Thomas the Train. For 60 years the Thomas Company produced durable, safe, toys that delight children. On reason Thomas the Train appeals to most children is the smile on the red train. As a children visit www.thomasandfriends.com, they see Thomas the Tug Boat and other brightly colored toys that have delighted children for 60 years. Children can print off sheet of toys to color and play memory games. These are puzzles and other educational activities mixed in with marketing. Parents need to monitors children’s visits to Web sites.

 

Most little girls have Barbie Dolls. I have one of the first Barbie Dolls from 1959. Many Young girls learn about glamour from Barbie who once was a fashion model. In the 1990’s Barbie became a dentist, pediatrician, and veterinarian. Her career options expanded as professions opened to women. A visit to www.Barbie.everythinggirl.com will trace the history of Barbie, show an array of clothing options, and show little girls how to decorate her bedroom, living room, and bathroom. There are life sized clothes and related merchandise. The mother will enjoy visiting this Web site to help the daughter make wise choices and to understand that this is a marketing Web site.

 

Little boys will get a kick out of www.hotwheels.com as they hear the sounds of engines and screaming tires. Most boys own Hot Wheels. There are video games, puzzles, and other products on the web site. Parents need to help children understand that this Web site targets children. Even though it is well done, it is a marketing tool.

 

Most children love pets. Because families lead busy lives, not everyone has a pet. If the family lives in rental property, it probably is restricted from owning them. Pets help children be kind, and they teach responsibility. Pets give a lot of love to families. When owning a real pet is not possible, a child can get a glimpse of virtual pet ownership from www.webkinz.com. A child adopts a pet, learns about pet care, and volunteers at the animal hospital. It provides a pleasant social network for elementary students.

 

Parents need to monitor what their children view on their computers.

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Medicine and Politics, Oil and water

 

 

From reading unofficial political blogs during the Republican National Convention, I find that politicians want to control healthcare. Though physicians train half their lives to become physicians and healthcare providers, a politician wants to manage and control healthcare without a clinical or scientific background. From www.cagop.org/blog I read that 8% of the state has a state medical card and many crucial services must first be approved before the patient can have the medication or procedure. For patients, it means that their doctor or healthcare provider must seek permission form a secretary to perform surgery or prescribe medication. It is an obstacle to medical care.

 

Another area of healthcare that politicians want to regulate is prison healthcare. From www.aladems.org/communication/blog/ I discovered that 80% of incarcerations are drug related. Perhaps healthcare should be part of the solution, and not corrections. On January 28, 2008, a prisoner rehab bill passed the house by a huge bi-partisan margin, but it was held up in the Senate. The bill would provide “grants that go towards helping the recently incarcerated find employment, housing, and substance abuse centers.”

 

Since healthcare is the number one concern of Republicans and Democrats, then the candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul makes sense. He enjoyed great support amongst the medical community. According to www.dvds4delegates.com, he was hopeful for the Presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. He was also strong on the economy.

 

While at the RNC, delegates assembled personal care packs for Hurricane victims in Mississippi. According to www.migop.blogs.com/blog, Republicans became “bleeding heart conservatives” as they donated blood for the victims of the most recent hurricane which left thousands homeless. Part of the RNC was shortened so that help could be given to the states affected by the hurricane. Medical supplies were donated.

 

 

 

Healthcare and the Republican National Convention

This week I hail from Minneapolis and St. Paul as the Republicans work out many policies including healthcare policies at the Republican National Convention. At www.JohnMcCain.com outlines his plans for healthcare. He appreciates the companies that offer employee health benefits. His plan will tax the benefit to the reicpients, and off set it another way. For employers who do not offer employee Health benefits, they may face a tax. McCain wants to encourage businesses to offer employee health insurance.

 Throughout the convention are discussion of healthcare, at www.gop.org. It is the number one concern of voters, and the ecomony is second.

 On the otherside, Obama’s plan for the Democrats is to provide health insurance for everyone, www.obama.com. The tax payers will pay for it. The Republicans oppose this plan because of its enormous expense. The government has its hand full regulating Medicare, and it is not easy for doctors or patients.

It will be difficult to administer health insurance for everyone according to Care Management at www.Healthsolutions.com. Various illnesses such as kidney disease that requires dialysis will be costly compared to fevers and colds of younger patients. There is no provision for catastrophic care. There are no easy solutions for healthcare.