Turning oceans of health data into usable information that can actually impact people’s lives can be a daunting task. It’s why GE’s healthymagination team is exploring new ways to make better sense of it via several data visualization projects — with the latest being our new interactive tool, “Fit to Perform,” which examines how health affects work performance and vice-versa. To create it, GE teamed with The Economist Intelligence Unit – which is the business-to-business arm of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist magazine — and London-based designer, writer and author David McCandless. Over 500 global corporate executives were asked their opinions for the project — and today’s results are the first part of a wide-ranging investigation into critical healthcare issues around the world. The broader findings in the “Health of Nations” program of research and analysis, created for GE by The Economist Intelligence Unit, will be unveiled in May.
How do you stack up?: Click the image to launch the data visualization.
The “Fit to Perform” survey polled 554 executives in December 2009 and January 2010 on their companies’ practices to support the health and well-being of the workforce. Respondents represented a wide range of organizations in terms of size, geography and industry. More than 95 percent of those who took part were aged between 25 and 65.
Taking care of business: At the WHCC, Mike Barber participated on the “Health Engagement: Global Business Imperative & Opportunity” panel. In addition to addressing GE’s strength in the healthcare space, Mike stressed the important role that GE’s Water business can play around the world given the critical link between clean water and health.
This data visualization comes just as the 7th Annual World Health Care Congress is wrapping up in Washington, D.C. today. GE VP of healthymagination Mike Barber was at the Congress, and while there shared new consumer survey data that was compiled by global PR firm Edelman. It shows that the public wants businesses to be engaged with health issues in the same way that they have become heavily involved with environmental issues.
Edelman’s Health Engagement Barometer — an 11-country, 15,000-person study — found that 73 percent of respondents believe it as important to protect the public’s health as it is to protect the environment. Together with GE’s recent Better Health Study, the two surveys showcase the importance of health — and the work that still must be done by business and clinicians to better connect with consumer interest in health.
Forbes magazine takes an extended look at the Edelman survey results in the essay “Health Is The Next Green For Business,” by Nancy Turett, Edelman’s global president for health. A video interview with Mike Barber, shot at the World Health Care Congress, will be available on Forbes.com later today.
* Learn more about David McCandless
* Visit David’s blog
* Read “Data visualization: A GOOD look at affording care” on GE Reports
* Read “Ben Fry at SXSW 2010: Visualizing data challenges” on GE Reports
* Read “A GOOD look at the ‘Cost of Chronic Diseases’” on GE Reports
* See all of our recent data visualizations in one place
