From Dr. Victor Miranda, General Manager of Diabetes Juvenil

Given the volume of medical information on the Internet, you might think that reliable and accurate information about diabetes is readily available. While this may be true for online diabetes resources in English, dependable information about diabetes is harder to come by for those around the globe who speak Spanish.  (Dele un clic aquí para leer en español)

This is surprising given the prevalence of diabetes in the Hispanic population. I’ll give you an example from the U.S., where I live. According to the most recent national survey data from the NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) for people ages 20 or older, 10.4% of Hispanics have been diagnosed with diabetes. Among this segment, the rates for Cubans were 8.2%, 11.9% for Mexican Americans and 12.6% for Puerto Ricans. For those who are first and second generation Hispanic-Americans, Spanish is predominately the primary language spoken at home. What is a parent to do when they receive the news that their child has diabetes? Where can they go for information after the 15-20 minute medical visit is over? 

While I found the lack of accessible information in Spanish to be very concerning, our team involved in Children With Diabetes also recognized the importance of helping to foster a community where Spanish-language speakers affected by diabetes could connect. Diabetes Juvenil provides a dynamic place where information can be shared freely and in Spanish, through forums and chats. The interactive forums and chats provide a way for people living with diabetes to discuss topics with other people just like them — people who really identify with what it is to be a patient with diabetes, a caregiver, a parent or grandparent of someone with diabetes. Being able to connect with others around the world who speak the same language is particularly important for families who are experiencing a void of information due to language barriers.

We are also striving to provide links to other groups that are aiming to offer the Spanish- speaking population services similar to other portals available in English, such as links to organizations  capable of providing medications that are either free of charge or at discounted prices, as well as organizations for young adults or the elderly living with diabetes.

We realize there is much more that can be done, but we hope that Diabetes Juvenil is a good start. Let us know if there are other things we can be doing to help patients with diabetes. We’re always looking for ways to help and language shouldn’t be a barrier.

Though I wish I had an iPhone (I have serious app envy), I do have a 3G phone that keeps me well-connected – and that has given the concept of being mobile an entirely new meaning for me. No longer am I chained to my desk in my corporate cave here at Johnson & Johnson, but I can wander wherever, and still feel connected. I know, I know – I’m not alone in that. In fact, according to a recent comScore, Inc. report:

Recognizing this, my colleagues over at McNeil Pediatrics recently created a new mobile web service that people can access from their phones to text for information about ADHD by texting “ADHD” to 87415.

(BTW: It happens that this week is ADHD awareness week as well….)

Once again, it is all about making sure information is available to people when and where they are looking for it – in this case, on their mobile phones.

From Fikry W. Isaac, MD, MPH, Executive Director, Global Health Services, Johnson & Johnson

I was privileged to participate in the Make Health Happen: Promoting Prevention and Wellness in Rural Communities summit at Montana State University in Bozeman. The summit was organized by Senator Max Baucus to bring together local businesses, public health workers, educators, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations interested in learning how to improve health and wellness in rural  communities. Several companies, including Johnson & Johnson, were invited to participate in the conversation.

With magnificent mountains and wide open spaces serving as an energizing backdrop, Montana was a great location to talk about innovative approaches to health and wellness—a beautiful, adventurous landscape that encourages action.

At the summit, I shared the experiences that the company I work for, Johnson & Johnson, has had in the creation of programs that are designed to help our employees improve their health – and, whenever possible, address the risk factors that lead to disease.  We call this wellness and prevention, and over the past 30 years, we’ve learned a lot about the strategies and programs we can put in place to make this work for our company.  As part of the recent discussions about  initiatives that can be put into place to  improve how we manage health in America, I’m often asked about what it takes to create a successful program – either within a community or a company like Johnson & Johnson – that can help people better manage their health.

Depending on who’s asking, I can get into a great deal of detail, but in general, there are a few things that have to be in place for a program – whether run by a company or by a community — to be successful:

• You have to address the health and wellness of the individual as well as the organization – you can help the individual to become healthy, but it will be difficult for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle in an unhealthy environment
• Leaders need to be committed to making such initiatives a success.  Whether you are the president of your company or the parent of a child, you need to lead by example to create lasting change and a healthy environment.
• Programs should address the full spectrum of health needs, from helping people with a chronic illness to keeping the healthy well. You will realize the most value by preventing the onset of risk factors, like obesity, that lead to costly chronic illnesses.

I’m not suggesting that these strategies are easy. Creating a culture of health – that encourages people to maintain healthy lifestyles — in your business, school, and even in your home requires time and effort. However, even small steps can make a big difference.