>How to Create Animations Online without Costly Softwares

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I

A Video is a very powerful resource on the internet. Various studies have proved that videos get shared more rapidly via social media, rather than text based content. But making good quality videos has required using special programs and costly talent.

Not Anymore.

There are a few sites online where you can do basic animation and you do not need to have animation experience. You can pick backgrounds, text, music, etc. to make a short video and then send it to your friends. You do not need any experience just point and click:

5 websites which allow you to create animations:

1. http://www.digitalfilms.com/
2. http://www.xtranormal.com
3. http://animoto.com/
4. http://www.dfilm.com/live/
5. http://www.aniboom.com/

Check out this video on using Xtranormal:

Related articles

• Online Animated Flash Banner Creator with BannersABC (madrasgeek.com)
• Five Sites for Making Animated Movies (quazen.com)

>The hidden influence of social networks on Health

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Nicholas Christakis‘ work examines the biological, psychological, sociological, and mathematical rules that govern how we form these social networks, and the rules that govern how they shape our lives. His work shows how phenomena as diverse as obesity, smoking, emotions, ideas, germs, and altruism can spread through our social ties, and how genes can partially underlie our creation of social ties to begin with. His work also sheds light on how we might take advantage of an understanding of social networks to make the world a better place.

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks | Video on TED.com

Related articles

• Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler | Book review (guardian.co.uk)
• A new way of thinking about social networks and the world (boston.com)

MedCom strategy for Hyalgan

Lupin Ltd has recently launched injectable osteoarthritis  drug Hyalgan in India. In fact, Hyalgan was the first FDA approved hyaluronan therapy.The drug, which is a natural liquid injected into the knees to relieve pain caused due to osteoarthritis, has been test-marketed by Lupin over the last six months across the country.  

The options for treating OA include:

• COX-2 inhibitors
• Mild Narcotics
• Local pain-relieving creams
• Corticosteroids
• Viscosupplementation- These procedures involve the injection of gel-like substances  (hyaluronates) into a joint to supplement the viscous properties of synovial fluid. Currently, these injections are approved for osteoarthritis of the knee joint, when more conservative treatments have failed.

Hyalgan is recommended for patients of stage 1 to 3 of OA to relieve the acute pain associated with it. Hyalgan can also delay the progression of OA when taken regularly as per the schedule.

 

The procedure for Hyalgan injections is explained here. Though many doctors know about this medication, not many are skilled enough to use this intra-articular injection. it would need a massive medical communication process to train most doctors in using this treatment option in the OPD. This communication would ideally be in the form an animated 2D or 3D video, with interactivity and notes.Such videos can then be distributed to relevant doctors, offline on a compact disc or online via medical forums and websites.

The Hyalgan molecule is originally developed by Italian drug maker FIDIA SpA.

According to a recently concluded survey, the market for osteoarthritis is currently pegged at Rs 150 crore. In India OA is the 2nd most prevalent disease in the age group of 25-30 years and affects more than 12 per cent of the population. Hyalgan injections are given as a series of 5 injections. Each injection is given once a week.

Youtube for pharma marketing.- Best practices

Recently read this post from Rohit Bhargava  titled “10 Rules Of Using YouTube For Pharma & Healthcare Marketing“. Though I don’t back all his logic, i found many of his views very important and worth repeating in another post. I have taken the liberty to add a few extra notes, while editing  many of his.

Youtube is a great channel for marketing and many Pharmaceutical companies are already actively involved.Check the playlist below for a few examples. 

               EIGHT RULES OF PHARMA MARKETING WITH YOUTUBE:

1) DO create a video as short as possible.

Short is sweet , simple and sexy. Ideally keep it between 2 and 4 minutes.

2) DO use descriptive language in the title.

The title is what will get you in the search listings , and ignite your viewers interest.Be sure to write the most interesting and compelling description you can

3) DO choose your thumbnail wisely.

This is the first Visual the viewers would focus on.Get the most visually interesting image you can to use as the thumbnail..

4) DO allow embedding and ratings on your video.   

That will let your video go viral , and prove its popularity.

5) DON’T allow comments on YouTube videos. 

Youtube comments are generally lowbrow.If you want to create dialogue, bring the video onto your own site and invite comments there instead.

6) DO integrate your video(s) with other online efforts

Make your video channel a part of your complete online marketing strategy.

7) DON’T expect people to just find your video through search.

Have an active promotional strategy.

8) DON’T forget to follow all the Regulatory guidelines.

Take care to comply with all the required legal and regulatory language. FDA is getting tougher on such “abuse” of online marketing efforts.

Original post here- 

Also see

•  Pharma Steps Back from Sponsored Ads (marketingvox.com)

• Catching Health consumer”s attention online  (digital-medicine.blogspot.com)

Youtube for pharma marketing.- Best practices

Recently read this post from Rohit Bhargava  titled “10 Rules Of Using YouTube For Pharma & Healthcare Marketing“. Though I don’t back all his logic, i found many of his views very important and worth repeating in another post. I have taken the liberty to add a few extra notes, while editing  many of his.

Youtube is a great channel for marketing and many Pharmaceutical companies are already actively involved.Check the playlist below for a few examples. 

               EIGHT RULES OF PHARMA MARKETING WITH YOUTUBE:

1) DO create a video as short as possible.

Short is sweet , simple and sexy. Ideally keep it between 2 and 4 minutes.

2) DO use descriptive language in the title.

The title is what will get you in the search listings , and ignite your viewers interest.Be sure to write the most interesting and compelling description you can

3) DO choose your thumbnail wisely.

This is the first Visual the viewers would focus on.Get the most visually interesting image you can to use as the thumbnail..

4) DO allow embedding and ratings on your video.   

That will let your video go viral , and prove its popularity.

5) DON’T allow comments on YouTube videos. 

Youtube comments are generally lowbrow.If you want to create dialogue, bring the video onto your own site and invite comments there instead.

6) DO integrate your video(s) with other online efforts

Make your video channel a part of your complete online marketing strategy.

7) DON’T expect people to just find your video through search.

Have an active promotional strategy.

8) DON’T forget to follow all the Regulatory guidelines.

Take care to comply with all the required legal and regulatory language. FDA is getting tougher on such “abuse” of online marketing efforts.

Original post here- 

• Pharma Steps Back from Sponsored Ads (marketingvox.com)
• Catching Health consumer”s attention online  (digital-medicine.blogspot.com)

Best channels for Consumer Health online

A large number of people are increasing turning to the internet for their information needs. But when it comes to online activity, everyone has a short attention span. Garnering potential audiences for medical content websites, and then retaining them is a big challenge. How do websites and other applications draw and hold consumers for long-form media like podcasts and video-downloads?

The Alexa ranking for two years, WebMD beats all other competition hands down, followed by everydayhealth.com. Allothers fare way behind these leaders in daily reach.

The important issues identified for such patient or consumer centric multimedia medical websites are,

—high.quality.content

— Accuracy

—Individualization tools

— Good medical imagery

—short 2 minute animation /user experience videos.

Below are quotes by a few top online medical/patient education resources.

Nan Forte EVP, consumer services, WebMD – (The WebMD )content staff blends award-winning expertise in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation to bring you the best health information possible. Our esteemed colleagues at MedicineNet.com are frequent contributors to WebMD and comprise our Medical Editorial Board. Our Independent Medical Review Board continuously reviews the site for accuracy and timeliness. # Health news for the public,Creating and maintaining up-to-date medical reference content databases,Medical imagery, graphics, and animation, Communities, Live web events, User experience, Interactive tools

More consumers visit WebMD than any other health site in search of health information. Our editorial and programming teams work closely with our product and technology groups to create the appropriate balance of compelling content together with an engaging user experience. The high level of user engagement on WebMD can be attributed to the high degree of personalization combined with the mix of sight, sound and motion across our network. For example, video is presented as part of the integrated user experience. In the past year alone, we’ve seen an increase in the way consumers are interacting with long-form media. We credit our programming expertise and the fact that many of our visitors are engaged information-seekers who will take time to engage in relevant programming.

Michelle Johnson Manager, pharmaceutical public affairs, Abbott -(The podcast series shares insights and tips from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships. Each Crohn’s Cast also includes a first-hand account from a person living with Crohn’s disease.)

Abbott’s decision to create its “Crohn’s Casts: Speaking from the Gut” series was about addressing the needs of patients by combining the right online tools with relevant topics. Each of the podcasts is under five minutes and shares insights from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships, and accounts from people living with or impacted by Crohn’s disease. CrohnsOnline.com is a site dedicated to people with Crohn’s disease, a gastrointestinal disease that often strikes between ages 15-35. Since 50% of people with chronic diseases go online to find healthcare information, a podcast was a simple, creative vehicle for this young and web-savvy group.

David Best, President, The Doctor’s Channel- (site includes short one- to two-minute streaming video clips designed to get to the point, with insights and opinions from experts in 35 different specialties, as well as community and lifestyle features that help doctors stay on top of the latest news, ideas and information.)

I have found that the best way to draw and hold consumers is to sell them on the idea of shorter content that is packed with more information. The world is media snacking, getting their information in bite-sized bursts. Here at The Doctor’s Channel, we have decided that our best chance to grab the attention of the medical community is not to fight the urge for media snacking, but rather to embrace it. We offer the same content you would find in an 8-minute video, but we provide it in four segments, each 2 minutes long. More often than not, people end up watching all four segments anyway. So consumers end up viewing 8 minutes of content, but because it is presented to them in smaller doses, they are more engaged. But remember, no matter what the “dose,” interesting content is paramount!

Marjorie Martin SVP & general manager, Everyday Health Network - (..help you manage your own and your family’s conditions and overall well-being through personalized advice, tools, and communities)

Online health users have a reputation for being impatient; however, it may be because they’re not finding what they need. Internet users are generally in search of answers to specific questions as opposed to casual browsing. When they find relevant content they stick with it. Audio and video perform best online when they’re specific to a condition and use the visuals and audio to provide important information. For instance, someone in search of content on weight loss surgery is more likely to view animation of the procedure and an interview with a former patient (including visuals of the scar) than watch video of two doctors sitting in a studio talking about it.

Related article

• Medical Animation- How is it Used ? (medical-communication.blogspot.com)

Based on a December ,2008 article in MMM-Online.com

Best channels for Consumer Health online

A large number of people are increasing turning to the internet for their information needs. But when it comes to online activity, everyone has a short attention span. Garnering potential audiences for medical content websites, and then retaining them is a big challenge. How do websites and other applications draw and hold consumers for long-form media like podcasts and video-downloads?

The Alexa ranking for two years, WebMD beats all other competition hands down, followed by everydayhealth.com. Allothers fare way behind these leaders in daily reach.

The important issues identified for such patient or consumer centric multimedia medical websites are,

—high.quality.content

— Accuracy

—Individualization tools

— Good medical imagery

—short 2 minute animation /user experience videos.

Below are quotes by a few top online medical/patient education resources.

Nan Forte EVP, consumer services, WebMD – (The WebMD )content staff blends award-winning expertise in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation to bring you the best health information possible. Our esteemed colleagues at MedicineNet.com are frequent contributors to WebMD and comprise our Medical Editorial Board. Our Independent Medical Review Board continuously reviews the site for accuracy and timeliness. # Health news for the public,Creating and maintaining up-to-date medical reference content databases,Medical imagery, graphics, and animation, Communities, Live web events, User experience, Interactive tools

More consumers visit WebMD than any other health site in search of health information. Our editorial and programming teams work closely with our product and technology groups to create the appropriate balance of compelling content together with an engaging user experience. The high level of user engagement on WebMD can be attributed to the high degree of personalization combined with the mix of sight, sound and motion across our network. For example, video is presented as part of the integrated user experience. In the past year alone, we’ve seen an increase in the way consumers are interacting with long-form media. We credit our programming expertise and the fact that many of our visitors are engaged information-seekers who will take time to engage in relevant programming.

Michelle Johnson Manager, pharmaceutical public affairs, Abbott -(The podcast series shares insights and tips from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships. Each Crohn’s Cast also includes a first-hand account from a person living with Crohn’s disease.)

Abbott’s decision to create its “Crohn’s Casts: Speaking from the Gut” series was about addressing the needs of patients by combining the right online tools with relevant topics. Each of the podcasts is under five minutes and shares insights from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships, and accounts from people living with or impacted by Crohn’s disease. CrohnsOnline.com is a site dedicated to people with Crohn’s disease, a gastrointestinal disease that often strikes between ages 15-35. Since 50% of people with chronic diseases go online to find healthcare information, a podcast was a simple, creative vehicle for this young and web-savvy group.

David Best, President, The Doctor’s Channel- (site includes short one- to two-minute streaming video clips designed to get to the point, with insights and opinions from experts in 35 different specialties, as well as community and lifestyle features that help doctors stay on top of the latest news, ideas and information.)

I have found that the best way to draw and hold consumers is to sell them on the idea of shorter content that is packed with more information. The world is media snacking, getting their information in bite-sized bursts. Here at The Doctor’s Channel, we have decided that our best chance to grab the attention of the medical community is not to fight the urge for media snacking, but rather to embrace it. We offer the same content you would find in an 8-minute video, but we provide it in four segments, each 2 minutes long. More often than not, people end up watching all four segments anyway. So consumers end up viewing 8 minutes of content, but because it is presented to them in smaller doses, they are more engaged. But remember, no matter what the “dose,” interesting content is paramount!

Marjorie Martin SVP & general manager, Everyday Health Network - (..help you manage your own and your family’s conditions and overall well-being through personalized advice, tools, and communities)

Online health users have a reputation for being impatient; however, it may be because they’re not finding what they need. Internet users are generally in search of answers to specific questions as opposed to casual browsing. When they find relevant content they stick with it. Audio and video perform best online when they’re specific to a condition and use the visuals and audio to provide important information. For instance, someone in search of content on weight loss surgery is more likely to view animation of the procedure and an interview with a former patient (including visuals of the scar) than watch video of two doctors sitting in a studio talking about it.

Related article

• Medical Animation- How is it Used ? (medical-communication.blogspot.com)

Based on a December ,2008 article in MMM-Online.com

Boring PCR revisited

Image via Wikipedia

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique to amplify a single or few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating millions or more copies of a particular DNA sequence. Primers (short DNA fragments) containing sequences complementary to the target region along with a DNA polymerase (after which the method is named) are key components to enable selective and repeated amplification. As PCR progresses, the DNA generated is itself used as a template for replication, setting in motion a chain reaction in which the DNA template is exponentially amplified.

Simply put, “Primers” are prepared complementary to target genes, Polymerses are added and they work together to produce millions of copies of the target genetic sequence.

A few uses of PCR include-

• Genetic fingerprinting
• Paternity testing
• Detection of hereditary diseases
• Cloning genes
• Mutagenesis
• Analysis of ancient DNA
• Genotyping of specific mutations
• Comparison of gene expression

But talking about PCR need not be so boring. This is a very creative music window created by BioRads to popularize and inform the uses of PCR. Medical communications as i like it. Focus on the receiver and the message and break the boredoom barrier.

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Boring PCR revisited

Image via Wikipedia

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique to amplify a single or few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating millions or more copies of a particular DNA sequence. Primers (short DNA fragments) containing sequences complementary to the target region along with a DNA polymerase (after which the method is named) are key components to enable selective and repeated amplification. As PCR progresses, the DNA generated is itself used as a template for replication, setting in motion a chain reaction in which the DNA template is exponentially amplified.

Simply put, “Primers” are prepared complementary to target genes, Polymerses are added and they work together to produce millions of copies of the target genetic sequence.

A few uses of PCR include-

• Genetic fingerprinting
• Paternity testing
• Detection of hereditary diseases
• Cloning genes
• Mutagenesis
• Analysis of ancient DNA
• Genotyping of specific mutations
• Comparison of gene expression

But talking about PCR need not be so boring. This is a very creative music window created by BioRads to popularize and inform the uses of PCR. Medical communications as i like it. Focus on the receiver and the message and break the boredoom barrier.

Related articles by Zemanta

• A Machine That Speeds Up Evolution (technologyreview.com)
• Artificial life: Was Steven Spielberg onto something in E.T.? (sciam.com)
• Designer babies: The gene test (telegraph.co.uk)

Expensive American Healthcare

Image via Wikipedia

I had made these observations a few months back. I really dont know how true they may be today since Obama has upped the ante.

That the American healthcare delivery system is out of control and wasteful is a no-brainer. Needless battery of investigations and over diagnosis, use of branded drugs over generics of better quality, impractical insurance laws, free-markets approach to health care and sedentary lifestyle are all major factors in creating the current scenario.Its like a bad spiraling black hole which only sucks you into unnecessary and wasteful consumption of health services.

Keeping the whole machinery ticking seems to be the raison d’itre de patient existence.

This video below touches on a few reasons on why health care is so expensive in America. Features like this convince that India must be doing something right in its public health policy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYC2DJWU41s

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• Debating Universal Healthcare (usnews.com)
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