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SharecareNow Names the Top 10 Influencers of Online Shift Work Sleep Disorder Conversation

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Atlanta, GA – January 24, 2012 – In support of the nearly 4 million Americans who suffer from a common sleep disorder that negatively impacts their health, well-being and job performance, SharecareNow, powered by WCG, today announced “SharecareNow 10 – Shift Work Sleep Disorder” identifying the most prominent experts and organizations that drive online conversation around shift work sleep disorder.

The release of the SharecareNow 10 – Shift Work Sleep Disorder list follows yesterday’s episode of “The Dr. Oz Show” which featured the importance of getting adequate sleep as part of the Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You health challenge developed by the Emmy award-winning Dr. Mehmet Oz. In an effort to help the estimated 3.75 million people in the U.S. that have shift work sleep disorder1-3, the list aims to connect those suffering from the condition with credible expert resources to learn how to cope with the condition and how to adopt healthy sleep cycles.

“What many Americans don’t realize is that getting adequate sleep is just as important as other health lifestyle behaviors like eating right and exercising and an insufficient amount of sleep can lead to a variety of chronic diseases, including heart disease, depression, and obesity,” said Jeff Arnold, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “Therefore, by identifying the most influential experts, authors and organizations for shift work sleep disorder conversations online, individuals have easy access to relevant information and resources. More importantly, they can find professionals in the field who can suggest various sleep aids to alleviate the symptoms and offer advice on how to make sleep a priority in order to achieve their overall health goals.”

Shift work sleep disorder is a medical condition often diagnosed for individuals who work non-traditional shifts other than 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., rotate shifts frequently or work at night. When this happens, the schedules disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, or internal clock, which causes them to struggle staying awake during daylight hours and sleep during nighttime hours. Symptoms of shift work sleep disorder include excessive sleepiness (especially on the job), difficulty concentrating, headaches and lack of energy, which can result in insomnia, reduced performance, accidents, irritability and depressed mood, or difficulties developing personal relationships.4,5

In order to be included in the SharecareNow 10 – Shift Work Sleep Disorder list, influencers must have demonstrated a consistent impact on shift work sleep disorder-specific conversations online over the past year. An individual’s or organization’s influence is measured and quantified through a proprietary algorithm based on more than 40 individual metrics, including shift work sleep disorder relevance, syndication, presence and reach. These influencers are then ranked from most to least influential based on a unique scoring structure.

The following top influencers make up the SharecareNow 10 – Shift Work Sleep Disorder list:

  1. Dr. Michael J. Breus – TheInsomniaBlog.com
  2. Brandon Peters, M.D. – About.com – Sleep
  3. American Academy of Sleep Medicine – Sleep Education Blog
  4. Lisa Shives – Sleep Better Blog
  5. Cleveland Clinic – ClevelandClinic.org
  6. National Sleep Foundation – SleepFoundation.org
  7. Deborah Kotz – Boston.com – Daily Dose
  8. Anahad O’Connor – New York Times – The Well Blog
  9. Dr. Steven Y. Park – DoctorStevenPark.com
  10. Dr. Catherine Darley – Naturopathic Sleep Medicine Blog

A downloadable version of the SharecareNow 10 – Shift Work Disorder list can be found here: https://www.sharecare.com/static/sharecare-now-shift-work-sleep-disorder-graphic. Additional information, including bios and the methodology behind the influencer list, is available at https://now.sharecare.com.

To facilitate discussion and education about shift work sleep disorder, a Twitter Chat will be hosted at www.Twitter.com/sharecarenow on Tuesday, January 24th from 12p.m. – 2p.m. EST. Additionally, sleep specialists on Sharecare will open their profile walls throughout the remainder of January to engage with Sharecare members and answer their questions related to sleep disorders. To participate in this open wall event, sign-up here: https://www.sharecare.com/static/sleep-better-center.

 

About SharecareNow, powered by WCG

SharecareNow, powered by WCG was developed in partnership with Sharecare, an interactive social Q&A platform, and WCG, a market-leading digital communications agency. Sharecare Now, powered by WCG is an online platform developed to access real-time analytics on various health topics, conversations and influencers, and to use these insights to meaningfully impact the conversation through strategic engagement. The platform allows health and wellness professionals, organizations and brands to leverage the most accurate data, solutions and best practices to participate in the social service of expert health and wellness content and communities.

 

About Sharecare

Launched in 2010 and based in Atlanta, GA, Sharecare is an interactive, social Q & A platform that allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, in partnership with Harpo Studios, Remark Media, (NASDAQ: MARK), Sony Pictures Television, and Discovery Communications, the company’s innovative approach provides the consumer access to a wide array of health and wellness experts ranging from hospitals to doctors, specialists to non-profits, to healthcare companies and active health consumers, creating a thriving community where healthcare knowledge is built, shared and put into practice.

 

 

About WCG Companies

Founded and led by chairman and CEO Jim Weiss, WCGC, the newly formed parent company of WCG, an award-winning independent global communications agency, is focused on integrated business solutions in the areas of product supremacy, innovation, change and growth for the world’s leading companies. WCGC serves clients through a network of offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin, Los Angeles and London. The company is celebrating its 11th year in business in 2012.

WCGC’s seasoned professionals specialize in branding, design, digital and traditional marketing, corporate and product PR, media, investor and advocacy relations, clinical trial recruitment and grassroots direct-to-patient communications campaigns. For more information, please visit www.wcgworld.com.

For more information, please visit https://now.sharecare.com and www.wcgworld.com

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