World AIDS Day (12/1/08) – Embracing the Positive

  World AIDS Day is a milestone in so many different ways.  It has marked the persistence of HIV and its impact on our world, but we hope that we are approaching a turning point where World AIDS Day will come to mark progress. What this day marks, however, is that being HIV positive doesn’t… Continue reading World AIDS Day (12/1/08) – Embracing the Positive

National Family History Day

PatientsLikeMe believes in the benefits of openly sharing health information.  That is why we are happy to spread the word about National Family History Day, which had its fifth anniversary on Thanksgiving 2008. As families gather this holiday weekend, National Family History Day encourages families to become familiar with the health history of previous generations. … Continue reading National Family History Day

PatientsLikeMe Report: MS Patients Still Positive for Tysabri Following July Announcement of PML Cases

PatientsLikeMe recently released a new PatientsLikeMeListen™ report: “Did the July 2008 PML announcement affect the Tysabri brand?” Among our findings, the report reveals that MS patients retained an overall positive perception of the Tysabri brand despite the July 2008 announcement of two additional PML cases. When we originally covered this topic back in August,  the… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Report: MS Patients Still Positive for Tysabri Following July Announcement of PML Cases

Should You Share Your Health Information Online?

Openness.  Privacy.  These philosophies stand in direct opposition in the question of which is better for consumer health.  Should people be open with their health information or private?  Certainly there are times for both, right? Not according to some privacy advocates.  On October 22, 2008, Deven McGraw from the Center for Democracy and Technology cited… Continue reading Should You Share Your Health Information Online?

Health 2.0: Where do we go from here?

A few nights ago, I was honored to give a keynote at the second Health 2.0 Northeast conference held right here in our Cambridge, MA backyard.  It’s exciting to see old friends and new emerging start-ups coming together to try and make a dent in the $2 trillion industry that is healthcare in the U.S. … Continue reading Health 2.0: Where do we go from here?

Ben Heywood, PatientsLikeMe Wins Boston Business Journal’s “Champions in Healthcare” Award

Last Friday (September 26, 2008), our Co-founder and President, Ben Heywood, was honored at the Boston Business Journal “Champions in Healthcare” award ceremony. Ben was one of two recipients recognized in the Innovation category. These regional awards highlight outstanding individuals and companies from the Boston-area who are making a difference in healthcare, including winners across… Continue reading Ben Heywood, PatientsLikeMe Wins Boston Business Journal’s “Champions in Healthcare” Award

PatientsLikeMe honored with award of distinction at Ars Electronica

Ars Electronica – one of the foremost centers for art and technology – honored PatientsLikeMe at their annual festival with the Award of Distinction. The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most prestigious prizes in the fields of media, technology, animation, and interactive art. This year, there were a record number of submissions with… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe honored with award of distinction at Ars Electronica

How representative are PatientsLikeMe patients to the general population?

Mimi Yin over at The Common Data Project blog posed some interesting questions about data in our communities: Back in April, I wrote about the site PatientsLikeMe.com, which provides a wonderful new service that allows individual users to share the most intimate details of their medical conditions and treatments, which in turn creates a pool… Continue reading How representative are PatientsLikeMe patients to the general population?

Living Positive with PatientsLikeMe (AIDS Walk Chicago)

You’ve spotted us again!  This weekend, PatientsLikeMe was a proud sponsor of the AIDS Walk/Run at Grant Park in Chicago on September 20, 2008.  The event, benefiting the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and 70 other local organizations, brought together more than 7,000 people on this warm, sunny day to show their support in the fight… Continue reading Living Positive with PatientsLikeMe (AIDS Walk Chicago)

PatientsLikeMe sponsors MS Challenge Walk on Cape Cod

PatientsLikeMe was recently one of the sponsors for the 2008 MS Challenge Walk on Cape Cod, a three-day, 50-mile event held on September 5-7, 2008. More than 620 walkers participated, each raising a minimum of $1,500.  Overall the event raised close to $1.4 million to benefit Multiple Sclerosis (MS) education, support, advocacy and research. The… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe sponsors MS Challenge Walk on Cape Cod