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Searching for Consumer Searching for Consumer Healthcare Literature On the Healthcare Literature On the Internet.Internet.

Frank Landry, MSLS, AHIP HealthAlliance Hospitals Medical Librarian +Coordinator of Medical Education

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AgendaAgenda

Overview

MedlinePlus –www.medlineplus.gov\– Video- Services of NN/LL-Development.– Features of the website.– Search examples.

Website Evaluation Services– HON - HealthCare on the Net www.hon.ch

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AgendaAgenda ( Cont.)( Cont.)

Clinical websites of Interest.– – What websites do I use to search for literature

in healthcare? AHRQ- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthfinder.gov AARP Health Guide Others ?

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Overview Overview

Short History of Consumer Health Information Growth.

– Healthcare Information services on the Internet have grown. In 2000 there were over 70,000 web sites in healthcare (est.)

– The first professional medical web sites appeared about 15-20 years ago.

– Major popular medical journals have made their current articles available online, and some journals provide advanced notice of these articles before they make print publication.

– Some journal publishers now make their articles available for free to to clinicians in third world countries. [ AMADEO, ]

– 72% of adults who go online online have searched for health related information. HARRIS POLL.

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ReasonsReasons

Computers are now affordable for home use.– Desktop power in a laptop

Internet Access is no longer limited by price or location.

– Pocket PC’s + PDA’s

– Wireless Home Networks and Local Hot Spots.

• Inexpensive routers / gateways [Comcast Cable / Verizon DSL] make it unnecessary to drill through walls, and places, super hardware / computers stores provide support, equipment, and

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DownsideDownside Recent surveys of health care and drug information

websites indicate customer dissatisfaction with many healthcare websites.– Poor performance ratings by users equal to corporate

web sites. Jupiter Media Research.

REASONS GIVEN

– Little interactivity, delays in responding to customer inquiries / lack of communication/

– selling/ sharing customer information /

– no clear opt-in-opt- out / marketing services.

– Many sites are not updated regularly, verified, or are heavily commercialized. Ex.: www.drkoop.com

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Challenges we experience.Challenges we experience. With more access to healthcare information

online, and healthcare information in particular, it cam be overwhelming. Some patients arrive at physician’s offices with pages of information obtained from hours of online searching from search engines like: “Google” or “Yahoo.”

Are we going to appropriate information sources online for your healthcare information needs?

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MedlinePLUS [www.medlineplus.gov]MedlinePLUS [www.medlineplus.gov]

Consumer Health Website / NIH + NN/LM

Home Page Accessible Resources include:

– Medical Encyclopedia A.D.A.M.

– Drug Information—US Pharmacopeia, USPDI- [for the patient} MedMaster and Natural Standard.

– Clinical trials information

– Focused health care information for the elderly.

– Interactive tutorials with printable summaries.

– Spanish translations— {Soon Asian}

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MedlinePLUS Video Overview.MedlinePLUS Video Overview.

Collaboration of:

National Network of Libraries of Medicine NN/LM– National Library of Medicine [NLM]

National Institutes of Health

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Search Example- DiabetesSearch Example- Diabetes

www.medlineplus.gov

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videosvideos

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tour/tour.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval_start.html

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Healthcare Websites : Healthcare Websites :

General Principles to Consider General Principles to Consider

Evaluation Services Evaluation Services

Websites I Use.Websites I Use.

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Website Evaluation ServicesWebsite Evaluation ServicesHealthcare on the Net – www.hon.chHealthcare on the Net – www.hon.ch

HON is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, [ Swiss foundation] accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. In 1996, the website was the first online guide for lay people and clinicians to sources of reliable healthcare information on the Internet.

The organization co-operates closely with the University Hospitals of Geneva and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics . The council members and support team come from several European countries and the U.S.A.

www.hon.chhttp://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html

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““HEALTH ON THE NET”HEALTH ON THE NET”CODE OF CONDUCTCODE OF CONDUCT

Authority. –Any medical or health advice provided and hosted on this site will only be given by medically trained and qualified professionals unless a clear statement is made that a piece of advice offered is from a non-medically qualified individual or organization.

ComplementarityThe information

provided on this site is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.

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““HEALTH ON THE NET”HEALTH ON THE NET”CODE OF CONDUCTCODE OF CONDUCT Confidentiality.

Confidentiality of data relating to individual patients and visitors to a medical/health Web site, including their identity, is respected by this Web site. The Web site owners undertake to honor or exceed the legal requirements of medical/health information privacy that apply in the country and state where the Web site and mirror sites are located

Attribution Where appropriate, information contained on this site will be supported by clear references to source data and, where possible, have specific HTML links to that data. The date when a clinical page was last modified will be clearly displayed (e.g. at the bottom of the page).

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““HEALTH ON THE NETHEALTH ON THE NET“CODE OF CONDUCT“CODE OF CONDUCTJustifiability- Any claims

relating to the benefits/performance of a specific treatment, commercial product or service will be supported by appropriate, balanced evidence in the manner outlined above in Principle 4.

Transparency of Authorship The designers of this Web site will seek to provide information in the clearest possible manner and provide contact addresses for visitors that seek further information or support. The Webmaster will display his/her E-mail address clearly throughout the Web site.

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““HEALTH ON THE NETHEALTH ON THE NET“CODE OF CONDUCT“CODE OF CONDUCTTransparency of

Sponsorship – Support for this Web site will be clearly identified, including the identities of commercial and non-commercial organizations that have contributed funding, services or material for the site.

Honesty in advertising & editorial policy- If advertising is a source of funding it will be clearly stated. A brief description of the advertising policy adopted by the Web site owners will be displayed on the site. Advertising and other promotional material will be presented to viewers in a manner and context that facilitates differentiation between it and the original material created by the institution operating the site.

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Checklist for Evaluating Health Checklist for Evaluating Health Care WebsitesCare Websites

1. Who sponsors the website? Is the sponsor a Federal agency or a medical school, professional society or is it related to one of these?

2. Can you find the mission or goal of the sponsor of the website?

3. Can you see who works for the agency or organization and who is the author?

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ChecklistChecklist

4 When was the information written?

5 Is your privacy protected?

6. Is there contact information?

7. Does the website make claims that seem too good to be true? Are quick cures promised?

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AHRQ- Agency for Healthcare Research AHRQ- Agency for Healthcare Research and Qualityand Quality

http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/ The research arm of the US Department of Health

and Human Services.

– Provides funding and technical assistance for health services research and research training at leading U.S. universities and other institutions.

– Work with the public and private sectors to build the knowledge base for what works in health and health care services and systems and to provide this knowledge to the general public and clinical specialists.

– Compliment the work of the National Institutes of Health.– Provide special materials / pathfinders to empower patients to improve the

quality of healthcare they receive from their health care providers.

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Healthfinder.govHealthfinder.gov

www.healthfinder.gov

Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hundreds of Web sites with consumer health information.

Online publication catalogs and ordering information.

Online brochures and other documents. FAQs (frequently asked questions) on important

health issues. Databases and search engines (Web sites that help

you find information).

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AARP- Health GuideAARP- Health Guide

http://www.aarp.org/health/healthguide/

New online service. It is still in the testing phase.– In partnership with National Library of Medicine, NIH, and

National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicne.

Healthwise® Knowledgebase– Information about conditions, diseases, medical tests,

medications, and treatment options

Very detailed Medicare Rights Section– Interactive Counselor Program for searching Medicare questions.

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Others:Others:

The Medical Library Association finds the following web sites particularly useful :

Cancer.gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) familydoctor.org HIV InSite Kidshealth® Mayo Clinic MEDEM: an information partnership of medical

societies NOAH: New York Online Access to Health

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Final Take Home SummaryFinal Take Home Summary As the Internet has grown by leaps and bounds, so have

the number of users who turn to online resources for health information and advice.

Consumer Health Websites are basic reference tools that are only as good as the information and services that they deliver.

Our challenge as librarians is not only to guide you to appropriate sources, but to those sources with content that is appropriate to meet your healthcare information need and enhance the quality of care that you receivefrom your healthcare providers.