Exclusive: Dr. Oz Now Making House Calls Online

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.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.