E-nagging

Following up (loosely) on Anna Roth's post on the use of social media by CCHS, there is an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about a Kaiser study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Kaiser Permanente researchers conducting a clinical trial on the impact of e-mailed reminders on diet and physical activity found gentle electronic nagging actually worked: People who received regular messages suggesting modest lifestyle improvements increased their activity level and made healthier food choices.

Such messages would probably not be regarded as "spam" if they come in direct emails from the primary care physician (PCP) to the patient. But another, less intrusive delivery method for such messages might be through occasional updates to CCHS's Facebook friends and Twitter followers.