Insider received this recently.
He took the survey. It was pretty quick and (almost) fun to do. If you do the survey you can get to see the results:
I'm writing to inform you about a survey I am conducting along with The Medical Blog Network on healthcare bloggers (see the press release below). I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take some time to take the survey and post about it on your blog. We're especially interested in getting data from people who blog anonymously.
Thanks for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Fard Johnmar
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Envision Solutions, LLC and The Medical Blog Network Kick Off Comprehensive Study of Global Healthcare Blogging Community
The “Taking the Pulse of the Healthcare Blogosphere” survey will track the demographics and opinions of healthcare bloggers from around the world.
New York, NY -- July 31, 2006
NEWS FACTS
Envision Solutions, LLC ( http://www.envisionsolutionsnow.com ) and The Medical Blog Network [TMBN] ( http://www.healthvoices.com/conference ) have launched the “Taking the Pulse of the Healthcare Blogosphere” survey. The study is the first systematic attempt to gather comprehensive opinion and demographic data from the global community of healthcare bloggers. Envision Solutions and TMBN expect to re-field the survey in the future.
- The healthcare blogosphere is rapidly growing in size and importance. However, little is known about the activity and opinions of large numbers of healthcare bloggers.
- The 2006 edition of the survey will run from July 31 to September 29. It is open to individuals and organizations that devote at least 30% of their blogging time to healthcare-related topics.
To learn more about the survey, please go to: http://www.envisionsolutionsnow.com/survey.html.
- Envision Solutions and TMBN will release the preliminary results of the survey in the late fall. The final results will be presented at Healthcare Blogging Summit 2006 ( http://www.healthvoices.com/conference ) taking place in Washington, D.C. on December 11.
- Envision Solutions and TMBN will collect and analyze data provided by a global sample of healthcare bloggers willing to take the survey. While the data is expected to provide new insights into the attitudes and behaviors of this community, we acknowledge that we may be surveying the most active bloggers and caution against applying the data to the overall healthcare blogopshere.
- Envision Solutions is a healthcare marketing communications consultancy. The Medical Blog Network is the world’s largest community of healthcare bloggers. TMBN connects bloggers, their audiences and the healthcare industry via a number of hosting and promotional services.
MULTIMEDIA
Please consider using this Web-ready logo (with the link to the survey) in online articles and blog posts about the study. View and download the logo here:
http://www.envisionsolutionsnow.com/surveylogo.html (by right-clicking the image).
Please contact Fard Johnmar for a print-ready version of the image.
QUOTES
Fard Johnmar, Founder, Envision Solutions, LLC
- The healthcare blogosphere is a diverse, vibrant community that generates valuable, free content for the masses. This survey will provide insights on why people blog about healthcare and identify appropriate ways for industry representatives, including public relations professionals, marketers and advertisers, to interact with them.
Dmitriy Kruglyak, Publisher, The Medical Blog Network
- The rapid emergence of the healthcare blogosphere leaves healthcare consumers, professionals and institutions no choice but to pay attention to it. This new form of media is steadily gaining credibility and shaping the reputations of healthcare leaders, vendors, providers and other industry players. This survey will provide a roadmap people can use to successfully navigate this rapidly evolving online ecosystem.
ABOUT ENVISION SOLUTIONS, LLC
Envision Solutions, LLC is a full-service healthcare marketing communications consulting firm. The company provides innovative products and services to not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. Envision Solutions’ core competencies are in the areas of analysis, strategic and tactical recommendation development, training and content development. Please visit http://www.envisionsolutionsnow.com for more information about the firm.
ABOUT THE MEDICAL BLOG NETWORK
The Medical Blog Network (TMBN) is the world’s largest community of health and medical bloggers. TMBN connects bloggers, audiences and the healthcare industry via a number of hosting and promotional services. We are building a next-generation eHealth resource based on open publishing of healthcare information by consumers and professionals. Visit http://www.healthvoices.com for more information about TMBN.
CONTACTS
Fard Johnmar
Founder
Envision Solutions, LLC
Phone: 212.501.6101
Website: http://www.envisionsolutionsnow.com
Blog: http://fardj.prblogs.org
Dmitriy Kruglyak
Publisher
The Medical Blog Network
Phone: 650.329.0397
Website: http://www.healthvoices.com
6 comments:
quote: "However, little is known about the activity and opinions of large numbers of healthcare bloggers".
What a statement:
Blogging is the activity.
The opinions is what is written in the blog.
So everything is known, out there, and the statement (that little is known) is not true.
What is true, however, is that it's not pigeonholed into the stupid format of a questionnaire.
So if you believe that a questionnaire is a device to learn something, then use that survey.
If you think - like me - that a questionnaire is a device to influence others, then do whatever makes sense to you.
I hear you.
It will take more than a survey to turn this puppy!
Insider declined all gifts etc.
Insider:
Thanks so much for taking the survey. I'm glad that you found it (almost) fun to take.
Christian
I appreciate your comments re: what is known and not known about healthcare bloggers. While it is certainly true that blogging is an activity, less is known about the aggregate opinions and actions (i.e., interactions with media, advertisers, etc.) of a range of bloggers.
In addition, rather than attempting to influence others, our goal is to simply collect and report data -- despite the known limitations of online surveys.
Once again, I appreciate your response and encourage you to contact me or leave a comment on my blog (see link above) about the survey.
Best,
Fard Johnmar
Fard,
I hear what you say, I just have a different (possibly esoteric) opinion about communication: the one who asks a question leads; the one who designs a questionnaire guides the possible outcomes. Not to mention the issue about validity of conlusions in case of incomplete responder rates.
I think it's O.K. that you try - and I also think that it's O.K. if I don't buy into the approach at all.
I posted it here because I did not want to "spoil" your site with a cynical comment. Insider can take it easily, I guess.
Christian:
Thanks for your comment. Yes, we recognize and acknowledge the many limitations we face in conducting a survey of this type. We face numerous challenges -- from likely having a high non-responder rate, to gathering data from a non-normal sample. However, these are the difficulties faced by all attempting to field online surveys.
However, like you, I think it is worth a try to get some data from this growing community of bloggers. I think people will be more accepting of the results if we acknowledge the limitations of our research. In addition, we plan to re-field the survey, which we hope over time will increase the strength of our conclusions.
Thanks again.
Best,
Fard
If you're into fun surveys like these, you might want to look at Survey Machine.
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