Could a New App Help Get Patients to Engage in Sun-Safe Behavior?

Appealing to their vanity may be the best way to encourage young women to practice sun-safe behaviors, a new study shows. The research, published in Cogent Psychology, studied the differences between text-based and visual messages and examined whether warning about future appearance has an impact on changing sun safety behaviors.

After seeing their own face prematurely photoaged using AprilAge’s APRIL® Face Aging Software, young women took two times the number of free sun screen samples and three times the number of skin cancer leaflets compared to those women who had read text information about the damaging nature of the sun, the study showed.

Study: Some Black Teens Pulled Between Health and Hair

Some girls in the black community feel as if they have to choose between their health and their hair, and this may play a role in the high rates of obesity seen in this population, new research shows.

A small study, which was recently published in BMC Obesity, assessed whether lower levels of physical activity among African-American teens were related to hair care. The study included 36 African-American girls ages 14 to 17 in three states. It showed that adolescent girls preferred straightened hair, which was viewed as the most “attractive” style, and said they avoided getting wet or sweating during exercise because they worried it would ruin their hairstyle.

The researchers concluded that the study findings reinforce the idea that physicians need to find time to encourage natural hair sytles or braided styles that don’t discourage these young women from exercising.

Vivacare and National Rosacea Society Collaborate on Patient Education

Vivacare has launched a new Rosacea Education Kit to support dermatologists in the delivery of care to their rosacea patients. The Kit is available at no cost by enrolling online. Dermatologists receive a web-based “Health Library” populated with over 20 patient handouts from the National Rosacea Society that are personalized with the doctor’s name. The content can be printed in the office, displayed on the practice website, and distributed through a doctor-branded mobile app. Patients download the mobile app and enter their doctor’s unique code to view dermatologist-recommended resources.

Those already enrolled in Vivacare can request that the Kit be added to their Health Library and mobile app. n

Watch This

AN UNFORGETTABLE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Practices looking for ways to differentiate should focus on creating amazing experiences, says Robert Rullo. One important consideration is the person answering your phones, who needs to convey your expertise and your story

Watch the video at http://bit.ly/2caZE7t