Craig Haynes, head of the Medical Center Library at the University of California, San Diego, states, “Presently, there are scores of nationally recognized, peer-reviewed, professional healthcare associations and government agencies with a clear and defining presence on the Web. Many of these sites are specifically targeted to the consumer health client. These professionally main- tained and reviewed healthcare sites offer consumers the best when it comes to basic health information.
“Health information acquired from these reputable sites do at least two important things. First of all, they equip the consumer with basic knowledge regarding a desired health behavior or an existing health condition. Secondly, when used in consultation with a qualified health professional, the information the consumer gleans from a reputable Web site can open a dialogue between patient and caregiver; and that is a very important element in both diagnosis and treatment.”
A word of caution, though. In June 2001, a healthy 24-year-old woman volunteer in an asthma study at Johns Hopkins University died because a chemical given her to inhale caused the progressive failure of her lungs and kidneys. It seems that the doctor conduct- ing his own online searches overlooked numerous citations in
medical literature about the dangers of inhaling the chemical hexamethonium.
In this case, it appears that a medical librarian, trained in the intricacies of MEDLINE, could have alerted the doctors to the dan- ger and helped to prevent the woman’s death. The moral of the story? If you need a complete literature search on a dangerous or rare health question, consult a skilled medical librarian.
On the other hand, when a patron comes in and wants more information on her niece’s recently diagnosed Ehlers Danlos syn- drome, say, you can easily get the general outlines of the current information on the disease or condition from the Web. Here are some resources.
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/home.jsp
When doctors and nurses get sick, they turn to this standard of diagnosis. Merck offers its 17th edition, completely revised in 1999 but constantly updated, online for free. Completely searchable, this online publication lists the causes, symptoms, and prognosis of just about everything that can go wrong with you. It also covers mental conditions, pediatrics, and infectious disease. Reading dis- ease descriptions in the Merck, I always start to feel a little funny, as if I were developing the symptoms of all the ailments in the book.
Figure 7.1 Look to the Merck Manual to find out what ails you.
The Merck Manual Second Home Edition www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html
Do users find medical terms in the regular Merck Manual too incomprehensible? Search the Second Home Edition for the same great information translated into terms that all of us can understand. This site is a terrific tool for students writing reports on diseases.
MayoClinic.com www.mayoclinic.com
The famous Mayo Clinic in Minnesota offers reliable, general information about a variety of ailments and conditions. In addi- tion to clear information about disease, MayoClinic.com offers healthy lifestyle planners. Get started today reducing stress, stop- ping smoking, and getting your weight under control. This is a great place to start.
Aetna InteliHealth
www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH
Experts at Harvard Medical School provide most of the search- able content for Aetna InteliHealth. This site aims to offer a collec- tion of consumer health information from the best possible sources. Value-added features include patient drug information, interactive health tools, and risk assessments. Funding comes from Aetna, a health insurance company.
MEDLINEplus Health Information http://medlineplus.gov
The National Library of Medicine has assembled its resources onto one attractive portal designed for general health consumers.
Search for information on conditions, diseases, drugs, and well- ness. Use the medical dictionary to translate incomprehensible medical terms. You may also jump directly from this site to ClinicalTrials.gov, the medical research program from the National Institutes of Health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov
This is the leading U.S. federal agency for protecting health and safety. Visit the CDC to learn about emerging infectious diseases, various diseases and conditions, and other health and safety topics.
Internet Mental Health www.mentalhealth.com
While treating the body, don’t forget the mind. Canadian psychi- atrist Phillip W. Long, MD runs this resource that offers very com- plete mental health information. Get the scoop on common mental disorders and psychotropic medication here. Long offers self- diagnostic psychology tests on his companion site, MyTherapy.com (www.mytherapy.com/features) for a modest fee. This is a great place to start for handling all kinds of mental unhappiness.
Familydoctor.org http://familydoctor.org
The American Academy of Family Physicians (www.aafp.org) offers this searchable directory of consumer health information on the wide variety of conditions and ailments that a family doctor might encounter. Some of the information is also available in Spanish. Users can search by symptom to get a head start on diag- nosing themselves.