http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/index.html HHS New Media Blog Tue, 15 May 2012 20:32:47 -0400 Percussion Rhythmyx http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/making_most_of_digital_assets.html At NIAID, we are learning that digital channels are most effective when they work together. When various online properties cross-promote one another, they create a synergy that maximizes impact beyond what can achieved through a single channel, thus allowing us to communicate with larger audiences, which furthers our mission. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 guid163464 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/facebook_timeline_for_pages.html On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages were automatically switched over to the new Timeline design. Use the tips, tricks, and resources below to make sure that your Page is prepared. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 guid162632 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/Bring FDA Tobacco Content to Your Website for Free.html Michael Murray (Michael Murray) We just launched a new feature on FDA.gov that allows you to easily add our tobacco-related content to your website. The content blends into your site’s look and feel, giving your site visitors a seamless experience, while providing high-quality content you don’t have to create, update, or maintain. Thu, 1 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 guid161733 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/online_privacy.html The President has designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and the theme for this year is “Our Shared Responsibility.” The Federal government has had a culture of privacy for decades, going back to at least the Privacy Act of 1974. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:30:00 -0400 guid157428 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/using_game_mechanics.html I’ll start by being upfront. I am not a gamer. The last video game I played with any passion or level of addiction was Frogger. I never even really got into Tetris. I do know enough gamers to be able to say “The Cake is a Lie” and know that will win me a special place in their hearts. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:12:30 -0400 guid155769 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/social_healthcare.html As the dog days of summer start to wind down, I thought it might be a good time to review a recent report from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project (Pew Internet). In addition, I would like to highlight some tips for navigating the Pew datasets. In May, the Pew Internet released “The Social Life of Health Information 2011” a report that focuses on mobile health, the health information divide, and peer-to-peer healthcare. For this post, I will focus on the sections of the report that concentrate on the use of social media. This report highlights two factors that are influencing the way patients and caregivers are using social media: (1) the increasing availability of online tools that facilitate sharing, and (2) the strong motivation for people living with chronic conditions, to develop non-traditional support networks (Fox, 2011a). Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:30:00 -0400 guid155444 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/social_health_hub.html SAMHSA recently launched its Social Health Hub to help support public health organizations interested in using social media in support of their agency’s mission. The Hub seeks to provide a central location for public health practitioners to learn from the work of their peers. It will include practical guidance, case studies and information on how social media can have a positive, demonstrable impact. Thu, 1 Sep 2011 00:12:30 -0400 guid153560 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/newmedia_accessibility.html The public’s growing expectation that their government will use new online technologies to communicate with them coincides with today’s tighter budgets. More than ever, the public expects that we do more with less. When we use new media tools, it's more important than ever that the information we provide for all Americans to access can indeed be accessed by all Americans – both inside and outside the federal government. Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:12:30 -0400 guid150927 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/hhs_challenges_toolkit_released.html Challenges are on the same procurement-mechanism tool belt as grants and contracts. And to promote the possibility of challenges as an everyday option for the Department, next Wednesday the 27th at 2pm ET, the HHS Center for New Media will be hosting a webinar where Challenge experts will present and then answer questions on challenges generally and the HHS Challenge Toolkit specifically. Here are the deets: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid149040 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/podcast_guidance.html Podcasting can be an effective new media tool used in conjunction with other outreach efforts. There are more than 40 public facing HHS podcasts, all with different niches. For example, the HHS HealthBeat is a podcast that educates the public on health prevention tips, 5 days a week. NIH Clinical Radio is a bi-weekly podcast whose audience is interested in news on medical research being done at the American’s Clinical Research Hospital. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:02:30 -0400 guid147478 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/information_overload.html As you might expect, immediately following a disaster, there is an overwhelming amount of information and misinformation buzzing around about the event, its aftermath, the immediate impacts, and long-term effects. This information pours out from big new organizations, government agencies, non-government organizations, community leaders, and individuals alike. In assessing the situation and deciding how to respond to it, it is not just responders, but also the public, who need to wade through this information overload and figure which sources are useful and which aren’t. To protect health and save lives, we have to integrate and analyze these multiple data sources incredibly fast. Tue, 5 Jul 2011 12:30:00 -0400 guid146730 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/social_conferences.html Today you don’t have to be physically present at a conference to get value out of it. Therefore, every event planning committee should be asking: How do we share the value of the conference with the rest of the world and in real time? Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:12:30 -0400 guid145814 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/mobile_collaboration.html The impact of Mobile technology can be seen popping up in a variety of places, first as one off successes, adding up to a tidal wave of change on how we do business, and how we expect to do business. As mobile technologies impact real world problems we should start to consider how we can take advantage of these tools in our everyday work lives. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid144769 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/video_for_the_web.html Grabbing and keeping attention is not always easy when your subject matter or spokesperson isn’t the most dynamic. Shows like “Shark Men” or “Monster Bugs” are easier to sell on National Geographic and Discovery (full disclosure: I used to work for these companies), than “Understanding Medical Loss Ratio: The Numbers Behind the Policy” (I made that one up). Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid143279 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/strategic_planning_that_linkedin.html The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) recently decided to use LinkedIn for their Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) campaign. By clearly defining their target audience first, ODPHP carefully crafted a solid strategic communications plan that takes significant advantage of a third party platform. Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid142320 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/how_do_we_measure_new_media.html Last year you finally convinced your boss of the importance of exploring new media as a way of reaching your constituents. You launched an agency FaceBook page, you have 500 followers on Twitter, and your blog was recently highlighted in the Federal Times. However, now your boss wants you to assess the return on investment for your social media. How do you even know where to begin? Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid136513 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/making_social_media_boring .html Social media has had a pretty impressive run over the past few years. Some of the credit is well deserved and some of the hype is probably, well, hyperbolic. If we want government to realize the full value of social media, we need to make it boring. We need to make it a part of our standard business processes and something deemed nothing more than (and nothing less than) every other element considered essential to a successful project.  Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid134170 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/hhs_at_sxsw_part_3_strategies_for_engaging_online_communities.html Part of using new media to effectively build communities online is understanding how to engage your audience.  Engagement can help us to understand our stakeholders, spread the reach of our messages, and even lead to behavior change through peer influence. While some communities need no help engaging their community members, others see engagement as a growing challenge with the increasing number of online communities competing for attention from our audiences. Effective use of technology to engage was one theme running through SXSWi . I attended a number sessions on engagement and have included a few key points from some of the sessions below:  Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid133441 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/hhs_at_sxsw_part_2_web_team_or_ambassadors_for_change.html After last year’s Federal Web Managers Conference, I started to think about the role the web team can play in organization management and changing the culture of government from within. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid133204 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/hhs_at_sxsw_part_1_soundbites.html I’m writing from Austin, Texas, the capital of the Lone Star State, checking in from South by Southwest Interactive, or SXSWi. For those of you who don’t know, SXSWi is one of the biggest technology conferences in the world. I’ve met people from California to Nova Scotia, from South Korea to Hamburg, Germany. Over 10,000 people are here, including a number of people from HHS here to observe trends in technology, meet innovators outside of our normal circle, and to hear presentations from some of the smartest people in the industry. Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 guid133004 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/wikis_and_the_culture_of_collaboration.html At NIH, Wikis are advancing communication, collaboration and even facilitating scientific advances. From authoring articles in their specific genre to editing entries for accuracy or sharing laboratory expertise, NIH scientists are using wikis for a wide range of activities. Wikis are also being used to communicate static content to communities, as well as day-to-day communication about team activities.  Mon, 7 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid132391 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/Developers_and_Designers_Dive_Into_the_Open_Data_Ocean .html What would it take to get folks to show up at 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning? Coffee, donuts, and the opportunity to plunge into a sea of open health datasets. On February 12, developers, designers, and researchers gathered to develop apps using public and private health care data-sets, over the course of one day, for the 2011 Health 2.0 Developer Challenge Code-a-thon. Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid131367 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/social media and theory.html Just like the gadgets on display at the mHealth Summit, social media is a shiny, new tool for us to use in the always challenging, often rewarding, never-ending quest to improve the health of our nation. But as we embrace social media and begin thinking about the many creative ways we can utilize it, we must not forget the science behind behavior change. More specifically, when we use social media to communicate, we must not forget about the importance of communication theory. Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid130458 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/tos_the_process_for_signing_and_now_what.html “I agree to these terms and conditions.” These words are right next to a box that you’re required to ‘check’ when creating a new account on any given 3rd party service such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others. This is the infamous fine print that no-one really reads. No one that is but our lawyers, and it’s within this fine print that ‘terms and conditions’ exist which the federal government can’t agree to. Most of you know that this then requires some legal negotiations that culminate into an amendment to these terms of service agreements (TOS) that we must sign before moving forward. Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0500 guid129216 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/publications_20_using_technology.html Taking inspiration from Amazon.com, the SAMHSA Store delivers an engaging web-based “shopping” experience. The store features product categories to help visitors identify products that may interest them, including the 50 most popular products, recently added products, and a selection of featured timely publications. Mon, 7 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0500 guid128413 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/highlights_from_a_federal_mobile_apps_webinar.html The webinar was put together by Mobomo and the National Technical Information Services (NTIS) in the Department of Commerce, which helps federal agencies design, develop, and deliver mobile strategies. The webinar featured representatives from the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health. Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid127798 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/i_need_a_viral_video.html I get two kinds of requests on a daily basis: “Can you make me a viral video?” and “Can you tell me how much it’ll cost?” The answer to both of these questions is, unfortunately, “Well not exactly.” Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:50:00 -0500 guid126029 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/maps_and_whos_mapping.html The work of this Department impacts Americans all over the country. Displaying information on maps can demonstrate relationship between sources of information, show off the great work your office is doing, and allow for people to quickly find information relevant to a particular locality. You can create basic maps that plot simple location points, or you can implement with more advanced features including regions with layered display options. Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid123219 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/entering2011.html In the spirit of renewal that every New Year brings, we reflect back and we look forward. While the beginning of 2010 saw only a handful of leaders across the Department (hats off to CDC and NIH/NCI at the forefront), now individuals within offices across HHS have lessons learned and unique skills to share for the benefit of the community. The pockets of expertise are becoming less silo-d as knowledge spreads and the tide of information raises all boats. Mon, 3 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 guid122247 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/hhs_cnm_produce_podcasts.html This final podcast features an interview with Nicholas Garlow in which he shares his experience and expertise in producing the HHS New Media Podcast series. Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid120877 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/samhsa_user_voice.html The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, has brought both those ideas together to shape their Strategic Initiatives. Mon, 6 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid118606 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/innovation.html As part of the Open Government Initiative, HHS is opening health data to become more transparent, participatory, and collaborative. By releasing raw datasets, free for the public to use and free from intellectual property constraint, HHS is spurring a marketplace of new ideas and new applications. Two ways HHS is doing this is one, through the Community Health Data Initiative, and secondly, the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge. Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid117696 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/break_the_chain.html According to Pew Internet Research, 72% of American adults send and receive text messages. The Break the Chain campaign recognized that when trying to reach retailers and the public. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid116887 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/yellow_bubbles.html Imagine having thousands of people reviewing your content 24 hours a day. The yellow bubble tool on HealthCare.gov makes it possible for people to make recommendations to improve the site. The tool allows site visitors to say whether they like a page or not and then provides an opportunity for open-ended feedback. Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid116532 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/how_icop_ideation_blog.html Ideation tools are solving problems. The Ideation Community of Practice (iCOP) is working to improve the way government agencies implement and use those tools. Mon, 8 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 guid115104 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/how_aids_gov_manage_blog.html The success of the AIDS.gov blog is a product of their planning. The blog has a purpose, a process, and an audience. The procedures the AIDS.gov team have developed and streamlined over time have helped the blog grow in the three years since launch. Fri, 5 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid114905 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/pillbox_govt_data.html Pillbox is opening up government data. Government agencies, communities who need to solve challenges, members of the medical field and public citizens can all benefit from this application. Project Manager David Hale designed Pillbox with the intent to make government data accessible and usable for the public. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid113218 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/my_introduction_to_hhsCNM.html In today’s world of growing technologies, the reach we have at our computer is continually expanding. Web 2.0 has brought people together online through interaction, participation and convergence. Here at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for New Media is trying to apply those growing tools to the growth of the Department. Read Holman is a New Media Strategist at The Center. Fri, 8 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid110926 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/APIpotral.html The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the world’s knowledge center for health and medicine, supporting a broad range of electronic information resources that are freely available to the public. Enhancing the use of these resources via web-based and mobile applications has been an important goal, consistent with HHS’s Open Government objectives. With this in mind, NLM has just announced the launch of a web portal for one-stop access to an exciting array of NLM Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid107983 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/HHSinnovates.html HHSinnovates is an award program that recognizes and encourages innovative efforts across HHS. The goal is to make our work for the American people more responsive, more efficient and more effective...and to recognize the employees who help accomplish those goals. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid94127 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/blogging.html There are many groups in HHS that have launched blogs in the past couple of years and there are many more that are considering a launch. If your office is among the many considering a blog, check out our new HHS blog guidance to know what consideration should be made before starting. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid94139 http://newmedia.hhs.gov/blog/smokefree.html The Smokefree Women's group within the National Cancer Institute has developed the QuitTraker Facebook app that gives women a fun and interactive way to track trends the reinforce their resolution to quit. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 guid94194