Exclusive: Dr. Oz Now Making House Calls Online

Personalized online video features Oz giving health tips

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/31/2012 3:43:04 PM

Fans who can't get enough of Dr. Oz's health and wellness advice via Sony's daytime strip or the show's Web site can now send Dr. Oz himself to friends and family using Dr. Oz's "House Calls."

The online experience at DoctorOz.com/HouseCalls allows users to send a personalized video of Dr. Mehmet Oz talking about a relevant health topic, such as sleep issues, weight loss, fitness, depression and many more. Users can either log on via Facebook, and then personalize the video using that service, or they can separately enter a friend's or relative's name and email address.

Oz provides a list of tips to help the recipient handle whatever health issue she is facing, or to help her move forward with goals, such as better fitness or weight-loss.

"The connection between people is one of the most important things to maintain for our health – I often tell people to set aside time to call friends and loved ones as part of their overall well-being," said Oz in a statement. "Now, not only can you send them a nice note, but each 'House Call' contains some useful tips presented in a fun and engaging way."

TV stations that air Sony's Dr. Oz will be able to embed the "House Calls" experience into their station Web sites. The video segments include a graphic at the end that tells recipients where and when they can watch the show, a promotional extra for stations.

In the week ending Jan. 22, Dr. Oz was syndication's second-highest rated talk show, just behind CBS Television Distribution's Dr. Phil, at a 3.0 live plus same day national household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.