Let’s NOT Go Surfing Now

When the Beachboys sang ‘Everybody’s Gone Surfin’ I’m fairly sure they were thinking about waxed boards, shaggy blond hair and ocean waves.

50 years later surfing is a term also associated with browsing the web and more recently with the increasingly popular teen past-time of clinging to the exterior of a speeding car.

The “sport” of car surfing is alarming health experts. National statistics have shown a steady rise in car surfing fatalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 1990, at least 99 people have died or sustained serious injuries as a result of car surfing.

“Broken bones and road rash – severe skin abrasions caused by impact from a fall – are minor injuries from car-surfing,” said Thomas Esposito, MD, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. “Head injuries are very prevalent and the effects are devastating.” Young people believe they are invincible but several seconds of thoughtless, risky behavior can lead to a lifetime of permanent disability or even death.”

The national rise in car surfing fatalities corresponds with the introduction of media depictions of the activity in movies, video games and in social media “For those desiring their five minutes of fame, social media such as YouTube and Facebook offer perceived fame and instant gratification,” said Esposito. “Replicating a dangerous stunt and capturing it with a cellphone may seem like a cool idea but can have serious long-term consequences.”

According to the CDC, males are more likely to car surf than females and the average age of persons injured as a result of car surfing is 17.6 years. A larger than average proportion of injuries occur among teen males ages 15 to 19. Injuries have been reported in 31 states, with 39% of these coming from the Midwest and 35% from the South.

Esposito notes that one of the key risks is sudden, unanticipated car maneuvers such as accelerating, swerving or braking, that can force a car surfer off of the vehicle. “People who fall off a moving vehicle may suffer brain contusions, broken bones, fractured skulls, loss of consciousness, internal bleeding, paralysis and death.”

Parents take note! If your teenage son asks to borrow the car to go surfing, just check he’s got his board and is headed off to the beach.  Car surfing is a dangerous game with stakes that are too high if they lose.

Preferred Health Care Resource – PC or PCP?

Patients and caregivers are empowering themselves in record numbers when it comes to managing their own health and the health of their families.  According to new data from Manhattan Research the internet has considerably more influence over consumer health decisions than traditional channels like print, TV and radio and even surpassed physicians as the most popular health resource for the first time last year.

The statistics are staggering.

• The number of people accessing health information online grew from 90 million in 2004 to 160 million in 2009
• 102.3 million US patients now go online to research prescription drugs and to learn how to manage their conditions
• After consumers view DTC advertisements, they are more likely to seek additional information from the internet than any other source, including doctors, family and friends
• 57% of patients say that their most recent online health inquiry had an impact on their own healthcare or the way they care for someone else
• 60% of patients say they or someone they know has been helped by following medical advice or health information found on the internet
• The number of consumers visiting pharmaceutical websites doubled between 2006 and 2009. These consumers report that this source highly influences their healthcare decisions
• More than 80 million US adults use social media for health-related issues, creating or using content on health blogs, message boards, chat rooms, health social networks and health communities, and patient testimonials.

But before physicians go hanging up their stethoscopes, Word on Health should point out that the study showed that healthcare professionals still have the strongest effect on consumer health behavior.

Studies such as this should help the pharmaceutical industry to plan and align their marketing strategy and ensure that online editorial health content and social media are included in the overall marketing mix.