November 9th, 2009

Reports the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Can we be tweeted to better health? Will a widget help slow the spread of swine flu? Do Facebook groups improve the chances of sticking with an exercise or weight-loss regimen?

Yesterday, a group of about 45 public-health practitioners explored how social-networking media such as MySpace and Twitter can be used to advance health.

The session was one of several “learning institutes” held at the Convention Center in advance of the American Public Health Association’s 137th annual meeting in Philadelphia this week.

The conference is expected to draw more than 11,000 public-health experts and practitioners to discuss a variety of issues, including chronic-disease management, HIV, clean drinking water, and smoking cessation.

Two issues that will dominate much of the conference are the swine-flu pandemic and congressional consideration of the overhaul of the nation’s health-care system, which the House began debating in earnest yesterday.

“From the public-health perspective, we have a particular interest in moving our system from sick care toward wellness,” said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the association.

Find out more at the Inquirer.