SCAI Announces Partnership With Dr. Oz Sharecare Initiative

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) today announced its partnership as a content provider for interventional cardiology-related topics on the new consumer health website "Sharecare." Developed by Dr. Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon and host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and internet entrepreneur Jeff Arnold, Sharecare is designed to bring together a variety of prestigious healthcare thought-leaders, institutions and organizations to provide consumers with accurate and reliable answers to health and wellness questions.

Sharecare will feature an interactive platform to allow content providers such as SCAI to directly engage with consumers, ensuring consumers have one website to turn to for accurate and timely information about their most pressing health-related concerns. In preparation for Sharecare's official launch, SCAI has been at work behind-the-scenes to answer consumer questions related to interventional cardiology and cardiovascular health.

"This effort brings together some of the most prestigious healthcare organizations in the world and we are thrilled to be among them," said Larry S. Dean, M.D., FSCAI, SCAI president, director of the UW Medicine Regional Heart Center and professor of Medicine and Surgery at the UW School of Medicine. "Sharecare aligns with the SCAI mission of educating and informing the public about the field of interventional cardiology, and this consumer-focused initiative will help our patients to navigate the sea of healthcare knowledge that exists on the internet today."

Sharecare is one of the first interactive Web platforms of its kind to bring together experts from a variety of health-related backgrounds to communicate directly with consumers. "This initiative is a step in the right direction towards a more collaborative industry-wide approach to offering medical information in a more streamlined manner," added Dr. Dean. "We are proud to stand behind something that will empower consumers to take charge of their own health, and can rest assured knowing our patients are viewing accurate and credible information from experienced healthcare professionals."

SCAI also provides education to consumers about interventional cardiology and the importance of heart health through its patient education website, www.seconds-count.org, as well as public education forums, partnerships with patient organizations and consumer-focused campaigns.  Sharecare will further allow SCAI to provide its unique perspective on heart-health-related issues alongside respected cardiology organizations and health care professionals.

To learn more about Sharecare visit: http://www.sharecare.com

About SCAI

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in approximately 70 nations. SCAI's mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI's annual meeting has become the leading venue for education, discussion, and debate about the latest developments in this dynamic medical specialty. SCAI's patient and physician education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit www.scai.org or www.seconds-count.org.

ABOUT SHARECARE

Founded in 2009 and based in Atlanta GA, Sharecare's mission is to greatly simplify the search for high-quality healthcare information and answer the world's questions of health. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, in partnership with Harpo Studios, HSW International, Sony Pictures Television, and Discovery Communications, the Sharecare interactive social QA platform allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness.  The company's innovative approach provides a wide array of expert answers to each question ranging from hospitals to MDs to non-profits to healthcare companies to active health consumers, ultimately creating a community where healthcare knowledge is built, shared and put into practice.

SOURCE SCAI