Discovery Health chose Inspire to build and manage an online community for Discovery's 2008 National Body Challenge - a multimedia effort to encourage fitness newbies and aficionados alike to achieve personal health and fitness goals.

Inspire's VP for Partnerships, Amir Lewkowicz shares insights about Inspire and this new community throughout this interview.

Q. Can you tell me a little about Inspire? Sure. Inspire develops online health communities for patients and caregivers. These communities are places where members can communicate and support one another in a safe, secure and privacy - protected environment. Inspire does this in close partnerships with leading health non profits such as The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, National Osteoporosis Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy and for profits like US News and World Report and recently Discovery Health.

Q. Tell me about the Discovery Health community. What was their motivation for launching this community? Last month, Discovery Health introduced their "National Body Challenge" community. This launch coincided with a week of programming about weight loss and management and wellness in general. With the obesity epidemic, they knew there was broad interest in this topic and wanted to give viewers an opportunity to join the challenge, start a conversation and benefit from shared information within the community.

Q. How does Discovery Health keep consumers engaged in this community? To begin with, they send a daily e-newsletter digest to community members highlighting new discussions, blogs and community members. This serves as a reminder and generates interest to bring consumers back and participate in the community. Discovery Health also puts up surveys on various health topics for members to answer. We also found that members engage other members through the social network, discussion posts and blog entries.

Q. What is unique about this online health community? In addition to the discussion forums found on most health community sites, our health communities enable social networking, finding and connecting with other community members. When consumers read an interesting comment on the discussion forum or blog, they can see a detailed profile of the other member and also have the option of inviting the community member authoring the comment to begin a private conversation. Through the community, they are connected to exchange communications without having to reveal their email addresses. Members can also search for people just like them e.g. gender, age, condition and connect with them as well.

Q. When health care advise is shared, it is essential to understand where this information is coming from, a healthcare professional or other patient. How is this accomplished within this online health community? When signing up to participate in the community, you are asked to specify if you have this condition (patient), care for someone with the condition (caregiver), are a health professional, are a volunteer/fundraiser/advocate or have a general interest. Every time you post to the community, your role is displayed. This concern that you describe is often voiced but it is important to understand that patients often benefit from hearing other patients describe their lifestyle challenges and changes.