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January 10, 2020

Evaluating the Potential Role of Social Media in Preventive Health Care

Author Affiliations
  • 1Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
  • 2Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
JAMA. 2020;323(5):411-412. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.21084

According to an estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 100 000 lives could be saved every year if everyone in the United States received clinical preventive services.1 Preventive health care includes well-established approaches such as blood pressure checks, cancer screening, counseling in regard to tobacco use, and vaccination. These interventions enable early detection of disease when treatment is likely to be most effective. Previous work has shown that less than 10% of US adults aged 35 years and older routinely receive all high-priority clinical preventive services recommended for their age group.2 Access, cost, and awareness continue to be barriers to receiving these services.

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