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03-26-2009, 06:28 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,258
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RealAge Disappointment
But not that surprising.
Online Quiz is a windfall for Drug makers
 Quote:
Pharmaceutical companies pay RealAge to compile test results of RealAge members and send them marketing messages by e-mail. The drug companies can even use RealAge answers to find people who show symptoms of a disease — and begin sending them messages about it even before the people have received a diagnosis from their doctors.
While few people would fill out a detailed questionnaire about their health and hand it over to a drug company looking for suggestions for new medications, that is essentially what RealAge is doing.
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__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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03-26-2009, 07:15 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
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Gotta love this marketing concept. Part of its brilliance may lie in weeding out people who don't have an internet connection.
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03-26-2009, 07:22 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CuppaJoe
Part of its brilliance may lie in weeding out people who don't have an internet connection.
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I don't understand the significance. Do non-internet user's buy fewer drugs? 
__________________
Numbers is hard
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03-26-2009, 07:27 AM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
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Noninternet uses probably have less money, see the doctor less often, and when they do they are less likely to ask about a specific "direct to consumer" drug ad or mailing. Focused marketing , so to speak.
Of course, it could be that the Pharma is simply interested in altruisticly promoting the health and well-being of it's valued customers .
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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03-26-2009, 07:35 AM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
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You've got something there, they may not need the internet because they see Dr. Oz on Oprah.  I was thinking they want to target people who can afford an internet connection.
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03-26-2009, 08:13 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,258
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It's cheaper to get to them... no postage or printing costs for instance.
__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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03-26-2009, 12:52 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,930
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Interesting article. Actually sounds like a tool a real doctor could use to help patients. Seems profit motive continues to have a "dark" side and a "good" side. Go figure! 
If the intended use for the data were explicitly explained up front, I would see no problem with this sort of quiz. To the extent it is "sneeky", I find it offensive. 
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -
Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
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03-26-2009, 01:54 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,719
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Interesting article. Didn't know there was a nefarious motive behind it. Regardless, I took the test and came out with 31 years old... I'm almost 39.
__________________
He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it . . . It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. -- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
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03-26-2009, 08:28 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,765
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I used to buy a lot more drugs before I got on the web. The internet IS a drug.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
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