Boguski, Berman Define the Goody-Gaga Effect in Harvard Speech on Medical Internet

Today, during an invited lecture at the Harvard School of Public Health, Celebrity Diagnosis co-founders Drs. Mark Boguski and Michele Berman, defined a new concept in health communication at the interface of social media and pop culture. Dubbed The Goody-Gaga Effect, it refers to the phenomenon of sharply increased volume of search traffic, for specific diseases or medical conditions, that correlates with a celebrity association with that disease or condition.

The Goody-Gaga Effect is named after the late British Reality TV personality, Jade Goody, (photo inset) and Lady Gaga based on their widely-publicized associations with cervical cancer and the autoimmune disorder lupus, respectively.

Free e-book:

The Goody-Gaga Effect: Health Behavior, Social Media & Popular Culture

Mark Boguski, M.D., Ph.D. is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and is a member of the Society for Participatory Medicine, "a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health" and in which professional health care providers encourage "empowered patients" and value them as full partners in managing their health and wellness.

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