Got Passion?

Chris Rock said some people have jobs and some people have careers. Those with jobs can’t make the clock move faster. Those with careers can’t find enough time in the day to do everything. Well he was right. I spent the past 10 days working afterhours on a proposal to improve health information translation. Read an excerpt from my proposal below.

Telling Health Stories Better: Journalism’s Role in Laying the Contextual Groundwork for a Healthier America

The emergence of the digital age has provided consumers with access to more health information than they have had in the past. This access has led to the emergence of the Internet savvy patient or e-Patient. The e-Patient researches his ailments online and is equipped to discuss options with his doctor. In fact a 2009 Pew Internet study found 86 percent of people with a disability or chronic illness searched the Internet for health information. A related Pew study shows 80 percent of Internet users look online for health information.

However, access to more health information – when, where, and how consumers want it – doesn’t alone translate into improved health outcomes. The grim reality is that most Americans have not adopted a healthy lifestyle. Roughly 50-60% of adults and 30% of children in America are either overweight or obese. In addition, many of the most common diseases that plague our society stem from poor eating habits and not enough exercise. Heart disease, a preventable condition, is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States.

The information, in order to have impact on an individual’s health, has to be presented in a way that is reliable, understandable and actionable. Have you read a scientific journal recently? Scientific journals are clearly written for other scientists. The new digital landscape opens up new and exciting opportunities for journalists to engage consumers by explaining the health information that is oftentimes not effectively translated to the public.