Press Releases

New Data Reveals Customer Attitudes Towards Personalized Medicine

SAN FRANCISCO — October 7, 2009 — Attendees of Health 2.0 Conference are among the first to receive new information about consumer attitudes towards personalized medicine.

Among the findings:

Patients are plugged into their own healthcare management:

• Most (71%) iGuard patients consider themselves “very knowledgeable” about their healthcare.
• They feel in control of their healthcare - 63% of patients say this describe them “very well.”

Patients feel connected to their physicians. For the most part, they feel:

• Listened to/heard by their physicians.
• Uninhibited in asking their doctor questions.
• A high level of trust in their physicians (84% say this describes them “very well”).

The need for personal drug safety monitoring is increasing:

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of patients visited at least three different physicians in the last year; almost one-half (42%) visited four or more different doctors in the last year.
• Nearly one-quarter (24%) of patients take 7-8 different medications per day, including prescription, over-the-counter and vitamin/supplement products.

Patients are supported by the safety and confidence they gain from iGuard.org and similar sites:

• Over one-half (53%) of patients seek online information about their medications at least monthly; nearly one-third (32%) at least weekly.
• When patients seek online information about their medications, they generally turn to either iGuard.org (37%) or WebMD.com (39%).
• iGuard.org is the sole electronic manager of health information for most (73%) patients.

Hugo Stephenson, M.D., president and founder of iGuard.org, presented the new data that was compiled from a recent survey of the 1.8 million iGuard.org members regarding consumer attitudes towards personalized medicine.

Presented at the Data Drives Decisions panel today, Stephenson joined other thought leaders who showed how data from various Health 2.0 platforms are being integrated with emerging clinical data sets.

Journalists seeking data on consumer attitudes towards specific medications, recalls, alerts and more can discuss opportunities with Dr. Stephenson. For example, a journalist working on a story about the recent recall or alert of a specific prescription or over-the counter medication or dietary supplement can ask specific questions of iGuard.org members who take that product.

Topics on which Dr. Stephenson is an expert and can provide expert opinion include:

• How the FDA/industry is working to improve communication about drug safety;
• How consumers can protect themselves;
• The role of technology in healthcare;
• What every consumer should know about medications/supplements.

iGuard.org is affiliated with Microsoft HealthVault, The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), MyMedicalReports.com, Kerr Drug, Aging with Grace and Allscripts, among others.

Dr. Stephenson has served as an advisor to the Federal Trade Commission on privacy policies.

iGuard.org is a free, personal drug safety monitoring service that now provides nearly two million consumers and caregivers with timely, personalized information about drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, medication safety warnings, breaking safety news and medication recalls that may affect their health. Launched in October 2007, iGuard.org is one of the fastest growing Health 2.0 services today – currently registering over 100,000 new members each month.

Permanent link to this press release

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Past Releases

July 13, 2009

iGuard.org Expands Reach of Medication Safety Alerts and Recalls to Microsoft HealthVault Members
read the full press release

June 30, 2009

Meridian Health and iGuard.org Partner to Provide Medication Safety Information for New Jersey Community
read the full press release

June 17, 2009

MyMedicalReports.com and iGuard.org Partnership Provides Reliable Interactive Health Resource
read the full press release

March 4, 2009

CAROLINAS BASED PHARMACY CREATES UNIQUE PATIENT SAFETY PROGRAM WITH WEB BASED DRUG MONITORING SERVICE
read the full press release

December 30, 2008

ONE MILLION AMERICANS NOW RECEIVE PERSONALIZED FDA DRUG SAFETY ALERTS THROUGH IGUARD.ORG
read the full press release

September 16, 2008

ISMP AND iGUARD.ORG PARTNER TO INCREASE MEDICATION SAFETY
read the full press release

August 6, 2008

iGUARD.ORG REACHES 500,000-MEMBER MILESTONE 12 MONTHS EARLY MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PATIENTS USING NEW DRUG SAFETY MONITORING SERVICE; 30,000 MORE REGISTER WEEKLY
read the full press release

May 7, 2008

iGUARD.ORG PRESENTS NEW DATA ON STATINS AT FDA WORKSHOP DEMONSTRATING HOW PATIENT
Reported Information can Enhance Drug Safety Knowledge
read the full press release

May 5, 2008

DRUG RISK RATING SYSTEM BENEFITS CONSUMERS
iGuard's Five-Color Risk Rating System Simplifies Communication
read the full press release

April 30, 2008

iGUARD.ORG ALTERS THE FACE OF E-HEALTH: NEW WEB SERVICE DRAWS 10,000 NEW PATIENTS WEEKLY
First and Only Site Allows Patients to See How Drugs Actually Work in Real People
read the full press release

December 4, 2007

DRUG SAFETY EXPERTS CALL FOR INCREASED PATIENT INVOLVEMENT:
Panel addresses need for improved reporting about drug safety issues
read the full press release

October 4, 2007:

iGUARD TRANSFORMS DRUG SAFETY ALERT AND UPDATE PROCESS:
First service to provide patients & physicians with immediate, personalized safety information
read the full press release