SAB NewsYour Experience Counts at The Science Advisory BoardI would like to personally welcome you to The Science Advisory Board and convey my enthusiasm to you about this unique and dynamic online community of medical and life science professionals. As a scientist and a public health professional, I am cognizant of the importance of communication as a means of conveying information, whether this be to students, the lay public, members of the press, research collaborators, university administration, corporate boards, etc. Often it is during the most critical times -- when using the tools and techniques of your profession -- that this avenue of communication is impeded or even closed. We here at The Science Advisory Board understand your frustration of waiting for results from the hospital lab, dealing with a defective software program or suffering the loss of a critical sample because of a mechanical malfunction. When we talk to the companies who design laboratory equipment, manufacture hospital devices or develop diagnostic protocols, they communicate to us their desire to know better whether customers perceive their product or technology as effective. Companies realize that the experience of the end-user is critical to the ultimate success or failure of their product or technology. Customer feedback such as how the technology is being used, an assessment of what works well and what does not, a list of additional features that could improve the product are the necessary bits of intelligence a company requires to remain competitive in today's marketplace. However, companies are often unable to obtain this type of information directly from their customer base. The reason for this disconnect is because companies do not have the access to the collective opinions of their customers. Typically, a company relies on members of its own advisory board or perhaps a few persistent callers to their customer service line for this key input. Unfortunately, too much valuable information remains voiceless and therefore unheard. It does not have to be this way. Other industries have found mechanisms to connect companies and their customers. The software industry is probably the best example because it effectively uses 21st century tools to accelerate product development, fix glitches and adapt to emerging needs of its customers. Everyone in the medical and life sciences community has opinions to share about the tools and techniques of their profession. The Science Advisory Board is the forum to facilitate this sharing be it through expressing your opinions in an online survey, writing a product review or participating in a discussion forum. The Science Advisory Board makes all of these avenues of information sharing -- plus many more -- not only possible, but also easy and rewarding. Your participation in this innovative communication portal will allow your voice to be amplified and heard, both clearly and immediately. As a result, the products and services you will use tomorrow will be much better based on the comments you make today. As you would expect, safeguarding your privacy is critical to us. This forum sanctions you to create a personality online without revealing your real identity. This freedom allows you to express your opinions candidly. Participation is free and open to all medical and life science professionals from graduate student to nurse to technician to surgeon to professor to health science administrator. I invite you to please join us and help to make the medical and life sciences community a better place to work. Should you have any comments or suggestions as to how we can improve our Member benefits and services, please feel free to contact me at t.zemlo@scienceboard.net. Tamara R. Zemlo, Ph.D., M.P.H. Director, Scientific & Medical Communications The Science Advisory Board |
|
