Bone Savvy

Online and in-the-know about Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

Samantha Moland

Specific Aims• Design an effective online health community

to meet the needs of younger women with osteoporosis and osteopenia

• Relevant prevention and treatment information, conversation, and support

• Savvy and intelligent design for younger, independent-minded demographic

Osteoporosis 101• “Porous bone” = low bone mineral density

• High risk of fracture to the hip, spine, and wrist

• “Silent Disease” and public health problem– 1 in 2 women age 50+ will break a bone due to

osteoporosis (1 in 8 men)– 71% women remain undiagnosed – DEXA scan is the primary diagnostic tool

Risk Factors• Female• White/Caucasian,

Asian• Post-menopausal• Family history• Thin, small frame• Eating disorders or

diseases that affect calcium absorption

• Diet low in calcium and vitamin D

• Physical Inactivity• Smoking• High caffeine

consumption• Excessive alcohol

and drug use

Prevention and Treatment

• Critical to build bone mass during peak bone density years (18-25)

• Dietary calcium & vitamin D– E.g. yogurt, milk, salmon, almonds

• Weight-bearing Exercise– Strength training, aerobics– Flexibility exercises

• Pharmacologic – Rx drugs, supplements

Prevention and Treatment

Young Women & Old Bones

• Diagnosed with Osteoporosis• Diagnosed with Osteopenia • At-risk for Osteoporosis/Osteopenia

– Calcium deficient women– Eating disordered women

Competitors• The Osteoporosis Community

• The Osteoporosis Connection

• Health Boards: Osteoporosis

• Public understands osteoporosis as “old woman’s” disease• Young women idiosyncratic, deviate from characterization• Absence of tailored website for young women with osteoporosis

or osteopenia– Has become a subtopic in other forums / websites

– Existing online health communities about osteoporosis are for older women with the disease

Bone Savvy• Not about grandma’s old bones• Young women, ages 18-25• Targeted and age-appropriate

information, discussion, and support

• Opportunity to share similar stories and experiences dealing with osteoporosis

• Focus on treatment and limiting progression of disease

Personna Development

• Kara, 24, female, Caucasian, Single• Diagnosed with Osteoporosis• College educated, works and lives in Manhattan• Exercises and strength trains regularly and strives to

maintain a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D

Secondary Audiences

• Families, friends, boyfriends• General public: online searches

for “osteoporosis” • Women’s health professionals • Research studies (institutional,

educational, federal)• Advertisers, Sponsors,

Partners– E.g. dairy companies, vitamin

retailers, gyms

Technology Environment

• Static Content– National Osteoporosis

Foundation, NIH, CDC, webMD.com,mayoclinic.com

• Registration process– Profile and blog generation– Enables posting privileges

• User-generated Content– Discussion boards,

blogs, profiles

• Supported Interaction– Expert chats, newsletters

Design & Development• Clean design, well organized • Strong focus on user-generated content• Engaging and illustrative for savvy target

audience• Create a sense of community, needs to be

representative of user feedback and input details

• Pilot site to test design

EvaluationINTERFACEINTERFACE

• User feedback to evaluate satisfaction and online experience

• Pre and post survey tools

• Redesign to improve design, content, and layout

ONLINE TRAFFICONLINE TRAFFIC

• Monthly unique views

• No. of registered users

• Retention rate (repeat visits)

• Inbound links

Marketing Plan• Launch date May 2008 to coincide with National Osteoporosis

Awareness and Prevention month

• Online marketing efforts to recruit larger, more established osteoporosis and women’s health websites to link to BoneSavvy.com

Sponsors & Partners

• Increased web traffic attractive to advertisers• Sponsors help sustain and legitimize site• Relevant to osteoporosis and women’s health

Questions?