Banking on the continued growth of the online healthcare category, well-funded upstarts are taking on the market leader WebMD.

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A recent survey conducted by Prospectiv found that for the overwhelming majority of consumers (75%) the Internet is the first-choice resource for drug treatment information. Broadcast Media (15%) and magazines (10%) came in a distant 2nd and 3rd place.

Online consumes turned primarily to general health information sites (54%) and specific ailment-focused sites (37%) for their ailment and drug treatment information.

Full Article from BusinessWire

Bayer Healthcare has launched an online game (Aleviator.com), promoting Aleve to its younger customer segment. The site brings visitors on a web-wide hunt to solve a mystery. For users who complete the game, Bayer also gives a donation to a non-profit environmental group.

Manhattan Research reports that 508,000 US physicians use online video today; 245,000 have posted professional content online directed to colleagues; and 100,000 have listened to professional podcasts downloaded online. And it's not just younger doctors that are engaged in online community - the Web 2.0 physician is surprisingly mature and experienced.

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More than 1.4 million enrollees have signed up to use the Kaiser's HealthConnect online service since September 2005. Since that time, the use of e-mail linked to EHR reduced the number of annual PCP outpatient visits by 7 to 10 percent. And compared to those that didn't use the service, enrollees made 14 percent fewer phone contacts.

Full Article from BizJournals.com

The appeal and success of corporate blogs depends on getting the tone and the content right for your target audience. Pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson, are actively engaged with corporate blogging with various levels of success.

Full Article from Better Business Blogging