The health and wellness channel, Discovery Health, is prescribing interactive Web elements for its popular medical TV series aiming at boosting viewer interest.
Starting in March, the channel’s Web site will introduce a “Medical Diagnosis”-themed quiz, based on episodes of its “Mystery ER” series, along with a “Match That Microbe” game. In a practical vein, it also plans to add a “Getting Help” interactive discussion forum about medical conditions and a “Shout Out” wall where visitors can post comments about diagnoses and treatments.
DiscoveryHealth.com also will provide a disease resource catalog, directing visitors to various organizations for information about specific medical conditions.
The new Web content will launch around a “Mystery March” programming lineup that will feature two back-to-back episodes of “Dr. G: Medical Examiner,” followed by “Mystery Diagnosis.” The three-hour primetime programming block is slated to debut on March 2.
“Medical Examiner” features Dr. Jan Garavaglia applying her forensics skills to solve unresolved causes of children’s’ deaths. “Mystery Diagnosis” profiles patients and medical practitioners doggedly pursuing answers to the origins of puzzling medical conditions.
“The idea is that viewers of ‘Medical Diagnosis’ and ‘Medical Examiner’ will also be able to go to our Web site for information about conditions mentioned on the shows,” said Discovery Health spokesperson Katie Crockett. “They’ll be able to take generic sorts of symptoms based on that as a fun game, an interactive element.”
The strategy intends to take advantage of both platforms, and ultimately build viewership for the shows by creating a deeper level of engagement for viewers online, according to Crockett.
“Medical Examiner,” in its sixth season, and “Mystery Diagnosis,” in its fourth season, both rank among Discovery Health’s most popular series.
The Discovery Health channel currently reaches a universe of more than 72 million viewers, according to Nielsen research.
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