Away from the Office
Tallahassee Business Journal September-October 2008Away from the Office
Compiled by Jason Dehart
HEALTH Online With the Doc Next time you feel sick, try reaching for the mouse instead of the phone. While many doctors have been slow to embrace e-mail as a way to connect with patients, it still might be worth checking into, according to writer Allison Van Dusen of Forbes.com. “A new Deloitte Center for Health Solutions online survey of more than 3,000 adults shows that nearly 80 percent of health care consumers would like to be able to e-mail with their physicians,” Van Dusen writes. “What’s more, 23 percent said they’d be willing to pay for it. Yet … only one-third of the more than 1,300 physicians surveyed by health care market research firm Manhattan Research said they used e-mail to communicate with patients in the first quarter of 2007.” If you’re lucky enough to have a doctor so open-minded and e-mail-savvy, Van Dusen suggests taking the following steps when trying to connect to your doctor via e-mail:
1. Check your doctor’s Web site.
2. Know privacy issues.
3. Understand the limits.
4. Get your prescription.
5. Schedule time to talk.
6. Be realistic about response time.
7. Be brief and to the point.
8. Know when it’s time to arrange an actual office visit.
For more information, visit forbes.com/lifestyle/health.
GETAWAYS
Red Eyes to Red Zones
Let’s face it: Visiting a war zone as part of your business dealings is no walk in the park. But does your company have a clear-cut safety policy in place to mitigate the risk? According to The New York Times, Control Risks – a London-based travel security company – surveyed 1,000 international business travelers and found half of those from the United States had no security policy in place at their companies. Also, a majority of employees believed their company should be responsible for spelling out what potential trouble awaits in foreign countries – and getting them out of it when things go haywire. More than half said they probably would take legal action against their company if an emergency situation was mishandled. Lesson learned? Be prepared – and don’t forget the Kevlar.
TECHNOLOGY
Down with Dog-Ear
All hail the Reader Digital Book from Sony. Billed as an “innovative reading experience,” this futuristic gadget features a high-contrast, high-resolution 6-inch screen visible even in bright sunshine. Weighing in at just 9 ounces and only a half-inch thick, this “ebook” can hold up to 160 digital books. More than 7,000 pages can be read on one charge. Costs start at just under $300. See the Reader Digital Book at sonystyle.com; books can be downloaded from Sony’s eBook Store at ebookstore.sony.com.
Paperless Memories
Are you still putting actual photos in your picture frames? That’s like, so 20th century. You have the digital camera, so toss the paper and move up to digital picture frames. This electronic device mimics a standard frame except for an LCD screen and processor that can show several photos in a slideshow. Prices start around $40. Digital picture frames are offered by Kodak, Polaroid and Ceiva.
Light Your Fire Anywhere
If you’ve ever tried – and failed – to light up that Montecristo cigar in the middle of a 60-mile-an-hour gale, here’s the gadget for you. The Windmill Delta is a powerful 21st-century butane lighter encased in an advanced elastomer armor that is impervious to the elements. Its 2,000-degree-Farenheit flame can be counted on to light you up in the coldest weather and at high altitude. For around $50, it’s hard to beat. Take a look at homeemergencyusa.com.
