The mobile platform, either your PDA and/or combined cell phone, will soon be another way you will be reaching out to your wellness program members.

The mobile platform is being perceived by both the telecommunications industry and the marketing industry as the primary way of being able to customize information flow, according to Larry Chapman, senior vice president of WebMD health services, who spoke at the audio conference "What’s Ahead for Workplace Wellness" sponsored by Wellness Program Management Advisor.

"Information flow" in terms of wellness and health promotion programs will provide new opportunities to reach members with educational health tips. Chapman cited the converging technologies – cell phone technology, PDA, and Internet search capabilities – in the context of what it means for wellness professionals.

"All of those things coming together in a hand held device, so that a mobile platform will likely be a major technologic innovation as we move forward into this next decade of time," he said.

Weblets, he continued, are ways in which the mobile platform can be programmed so that it can deliver information on food or nutrient values, or a comparison of where you might buy a prescription for Lipitor or medication.

Chapman said the handheld device provides broad functionality in terms of looking at the different kinds of informational tools that we can potentially use from a wellness perspective.

Editor’s Note: A CD-ROM recording of the speaker presentations and all conference materials for "What’s Ahead for Workplace Wellness" is now available to order online or by calling toll free (800) 516-4343.

For more information, visit: www.healthresourcesonline.com/edu/Whats-Ahead-Workplace-Wellness-2010.htm

Address: WebMD Health Service, PO Box 55056, Seattle, WA 98155; (206) 364-3448