Wednesday, February 10, 2010

UCLA Looks To Tap Social Networks In Teen Health Effort

The UCLA School of Public Health is looking to tap into the power of social networks, in an attempt to encourage adolescents from 13 to 17 to take better care of their health. According to health care insurer Health Net and UCLA, the two are looking to study the use of Web-based, social media to improve preventative care and decrease emergency room visits among adolescents. UCLA and Health Net said the effort is being funded by a $1.1M grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, and will compare how using social media compares to more traditional, health outreach efforts. HealthNet and UCLA said it expects it study will reach around 8,000 Medicaid and Healthy Families beneficiaries.