Health Questions? Visit the New WebMD Answers

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WebMD Health Corp. WBMD, the leading source of health information, announced today the launch of WebMD Answers, where consumers can pose personal health questions that can be asked and answered in a trusted environment. WebMD Answers' Q&As are contextually integrated throughout the WebMD experience as well as through WebMD Search, so that consumers can now access information from leading health experts, organizations, and other consumers when they need it.

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Tens of millions of consumers come to WebMD with a sense of purpose, seeking answers to their health and wellness questions. WebMD Answers harnesses WebMD's trusted consumer relationship by delivering the most comprehensive experiential feedback and responses, perspectives from qualified WebMD experts, and information from third-party experts and organizations. The answers are clearly labeled, sourced, and ranked by WebMD and consumers. 

"As consumers take a more active role in preventive care and treatment options, they want convenient health information from reliable sources to support their healthy living decisions," said Dr. Michael Smith, WebMD Chief Medical Editor. "With such an immediate need for health and wellness information, anytime, anywhere, WebMD Answers provides a trusted environment for consumers to ask health-related questions and receive information from physicians, experts, and peers."

WebMD Answers is also a way to keep up to date on the latest information that's important to you. WebMD Answers gives you the ability to "follow" topics, people, organizations, and trending questions that are relevant to your life. Consumers can stay informed on the latest information relevant to their interests either via email messaging or by signing into WebMD and accessing their very own personalized WebMD Answers experience.

WebMD Answers gives brands the ability to place contextual messaging at the "point of purpose" – when engaged consumers are actively seeking, commenting, sharing, and acting on information. Marketers can participate in WebMD Answers through sponsorships of targeted search categories and/or specific condition/lifestyle-related questions to reach consumers who are looking for actionable health and wellness information.

WebMD has partnered with the nation's leading organizations to provide expert answers to health and wellness questions through WebMD Answers. Partnering organizations include:

• The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical, and efficient manner. 
• The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer. As a global grassroots force of 3 million volunteers, the American Cancer Society fights for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community.
• The American Chronic Pain Association facilitates peer support and education for people with chronic pain and their families so that they may live more fully in spite of their pain. In addition, the ACPA raises awareness about living with chronic pain.
• The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), established in 1942, is a professional medical association of more than 5,700 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients the best treatment.
• The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication, and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders.
• The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the art, science, and practice of reproductive medicine.
• The nonprofit Betty Ford Center is a licensed chemical dependency recovery hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The facility treats addiction to alcohol and/or other drugs as a primary disease that affects the entire family.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation's health protection agency, working 24/7 to protect Americans from health, safety, and security threats, whether foreign or domestic.
• Harvard Health Publications draws upon the more than 11,000 faculty physicians of Harvard Medical School to produce authoritative, trustworthy consumer health information on a wide range of diseases and conditions as well as lifestyle and prevention topics. 
• Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is the largest private funder of melanoma research. To date, MRA has awarded more than $38 million to 96 research programs to make transforming advances in the prevention, diagnosis and staging, and treatment of melanoma, including research in biological causes of carcinogenesis, skin screening, biomarkers, imaging, immunotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy, and combination therapy.
• MyPlate is a symbol of balanced eating; representing the five food groups, and is part of a larger communications initiative based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help consumers make better food choices. MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are both projects of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP).
• The National Eczema Association (NEA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) association whose mission is to work to improve the health and quality of life of people living with atopic dermatitis/eczema. The group provides emotional support, information, and resources to people who have the disease, as well as their loved ones. NEA also raises awareness of the disease and funds research.
• The National Health Council (NHC) is the only organization of its kind that brings together all segments of the health community to provide a united voice for the more than 133 million people living with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.
• The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) is the leading consumer and community-focused health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. NOF works to educate the public and health professionals on ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent osteoporosis in order to improve patient care and support for people who have suffered broken bones due to osteoporosis and to protect future generations from the disease.
• The National Psoriasis Foundation, founded in 1968, is the world's largest nonprofit patient advocacy organization serving the 7.5 million Americans living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The Psoriasis Foundation works to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to eliminate their devastating effects through research, advocacy, and education.

To learn more about WebMD Answers, visit webmd.com/answers.

About WebMD 
WebMD Health Corp. WBMD is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, health care professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications.

The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicineHealth, RxList, theheart.org, Medscape Education, and other owned WebMD sites.

All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including those regarding: our expectations concerning market opportunities and our ability to capitalize on them; and the benefits expected from new products or services. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on our current plans and expectations, and they involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to be different than those described in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those relating to: market acceptance of our products and services; relationships with customers and strategic partners; and changes in economic, political or regulatory conditions or other trends affecting the healthcare, Internet and information technology industries. Further information about these matters can be found in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

SOURCE WebMD Health Corp.