Duke News
Duke University Medical Center to Support Personalized Health Education through the Internet
Durham, NC – Duke University Medical Center has formed a partnership with ActivHealth to provide personalized health information through the Internet. The Personal Health Development (PHD) Network is a Web-based multimedia library of programs covering all aspects of personal health and wellness. These include health education, stress management, nutrition, exercise and fitness, and personal development. An online health risk assessment questionnaire identifies individual needs and selects a “personal wellness program” for each member. The interactive format is both engaging and effective. Integrated tracking software monitors participation and generates progress reports.
“Our method of delivery it is unique,” says Dr. Kenneth W. Lyles of Duke University Medical Center. “ActivHealth provides a state-of-the-art system that allows us to interact with large numbers of people through the Internet. Our goal is to modify behavior through education and prevention. We follow what happens to them, and we hope over time to use the PHD Network as a research tool to show how well our interventions work.”
Duke University Medical Center faculty review and credential all educational content to ensure that individuals receive the latest health information. “The most important thing from my standpoint as a scientist is that the information is entirely accurate and reliable,” says Dr. Connie W. Bales, Assistant Director at Duke’s Stedman Center for Nutrition Studies. “I think everybody knows in their heads they need to be watching health behaviors like fitness and good eating habits, but they sometimes lack the commitment to follow through. When people have what we call a readiness to change their behavior that’s sincere and from the heart as well as the head, that’s when we want to provide good educational support.”
Christine S. Hardy, MPH, RD, will manage the project from the Duke Center for Living campus. “What makes our program unique is that it’s geared to the individual. Each member has access to an entire library of information, or they can choose just to take the lessons that are geared to them,” says Hardy.
“The material is presented in a very accessible and enjoyable fashion rather than a list of text on a screen,” says Dr. Bill Kraus, Research Director at Duke’s Center for Living. “ The system is very approachable to the individual. It’s fun to use. It’s made up of state-of-the-art, latest information, and it can really help people get where they want to be.”
Located in Durham, NC, Duke University Medical Center is considered one of the crown jewels of American medicine. Less than four years after opening in 1930, Duke ranked among the top twenty medical schools in the country. Today, Duke University Medical Center is consistently ranked as a top medical university by U.S.News and World Report and is now considered a world-renowned leader in health promotion and wellness.
Primary faculty members involved with the project include: Kenneth W. Lyles, MD; William E. Kraus, MD; and Connie W. Bales, PhD, RD. Dr. Lyles is Director of the Stedman Center for Nutritional Studies and Clinic Director of the Geriatrics Research and Education Clinics and Center. Dr. Kraus is Research Director of the Duke Center for Living and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Department of Cell Biology. Dr. Bales is Associate Research Professor of Medicine, Assistant Director of the Stedman Center, and Associate Director for Education and Evaluation at the Geriatrics Clinics.
www.activhealth.com
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