Click here for Healthcare.USE THE INTERNET TO ARM YOURSELF WITH THE BEST MEDICAL INFORMATION WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM DIGITAL DOCTORS LIKE STAR TREK  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. :
VOYAGER'S HOLOGRAM See holographic storage. HEALER, but there's already a small galaxy
of Websites that offer free medical and health information to consumers.
These sites provide news you can use to make smart health choices,
information about illnesses and treatments, links to support groups, and
expert information. Although the sites aren't intended to--and
should not--replace the advice and care of a real doctor, they can help
you become better educated about your healthcare needs.
Good health sites can arm you with solid information and prepare you with great questions for your next visit to the doctor. But health information dispensed from the Web requires a dose of "healthy skepticism," says Dr. Charlotte E. Grayson, senior medical editor for WebMD (www.webmd.net). "When people go to a healthcare Website, often they've just been diagnosed with a condition--or a family member has," says Grayson. That makes the site a valuable and deeply personal tool, but it must be used prudently. Grayson says there are five questions to ask when evaluating information on a site: 1. Who is posting the information? Look for reputable sources with an excellent reputation in the field, such as WebMD, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies. 2. Who is sponsoring the site? Some sites have content sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. A reputable site will disclose this information. If the source isn't indicated, you should move on. 3. Who is developing the content? You can usually find this in a Who We Are or About Us link. There should be advisory board members or a news staff with years of experience or medical credentials. It's important that a site has physicians on staff when providing information. If the site has a chat room or newsgroup newsgroup Internet forum for discussion of specific subjects. Newsgroups are organized into subjects (e.g., automobiles); each typically has several subgroups (e.g., classic cars, Formula One racing cars). , this can also provide opportunities to form a virtual support group with others in a similar situation. But remember: Experts should moderate these discussions so misinformation mis·in·form tr.v. mis·in·formed, mis·in·form·ing, mis·in·forms To provide with incorrect information. mis won't be disseminated. 4. When was the material last updated? Medical information changes frequently. Check the dates to make sure the site is keeping abreast of the latest research. 5. Are claims documented? If an article claims a particular drug is good for an illness, find out who is saying it. Reputable sites require that the information come from reliable sources such as solid research and clinical trials. WHAT NEXT? Once you've found a good site, make the most of it. "I always recommend that people take the information they pull off the Internet, print it out, and take it to their healthcare provider. That's the only way they can both be on the same page," says Grayson. "It helps the doctors, too; [they] know you're interested in being a partner in your care." There are many general health sites on the Web offering a variety of information. Finding one that meets all of your needs can be tough; so we've combed the Web to bring you a few. Here are 10 sites to help you stay healthy. Black Health Network The Black Health Network is a good site with an African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. focus. No digging through a general-interest site for the information you need. The site provides a wealth of information, from commentary by the secretary of health and human services Noun 1. Secretary of Health and Human Services - the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services; "the first Secretary of Health and Human Services was Patricia Roberts Harris who was appointed by Carter" on state insurance for children to articles about cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease in African Americans to food safety during cookouts (just in time for summer barbecues). After linking to Minority Health Issues for You and Your Family, you'll find links to topics ranging from arthritis to tendinitis, and more. And with almost every topic comes an explanation of its relevance to African Americans. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. HealthWatch.com Fresh, engaging articles make CBS HealthWatch.com a lively place. Forty-six health channels on different topics, such as heart health, depression, and men's health Men's Health Definition Men's health is concerned with identifying, preventing, and treating conditions that are most common or specific to men. , give it a solid foundation. The Multicultural Health channel includes reports such as High Blood Pressure in African American Women, Diabetes and African American Health, and African Americans and Tobacco. The site also features a Drug Directory, a Medical Dictionary A medical dictionary is a lexicon for words used in medicine. The three major English language medical dictionaries are Stedman's, Taber's, and Dorland's medical dictionaries. , and a Test Handbook, which finally explains what all those tests are for and what the results mean. You can also learn about clinical trials in your geographic area by topic and sign up for the free newsletter, Mousecalls. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control site has the flavor and impact of a public health site, rather than a consumer magazine. You'll find information for travelers, statistical data, and information on diseases such as tuberculosis from a public health perspective rather than an individual's. This is an important site for those studying health issues as they relate to the population--or to a particular population--because it provides data on topics such as access to health coverage by race. The CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation site also contains the section Current Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors, which debunks reports such as "Hantavirus hantavirus, any of a genus (Hantavirus) of single-stranded RNA viruses that are carried by rodents and transmitted to humans when they inhale vapors from contaminated rodent urine, saliva, or feces. There are many strains of hantavirus. Spread by Contact With Soda Cans or Groovy groov·y adj. groov·i·er, groov·i·est Slang Very pleasing; wonderful. groov  i·ness n. Packages." Sometimes your tax dollars do work.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HealthAnswers If you're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. comprehensive health information, be sure to log on to HealthAnswers. One of the more complete sites, HealthAnswers features a wealth of information on everything from addiction to women's health Women's Health Definition Women's health is the effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and psychosocial issues. , as well as an extensive drug index. A search for a prescription, for example, yielded such information as what it does, what you should tell your doctor before he prescribes the medication, drug interactions, and side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. . The site is also packed with information on nutrition, and a visual search tool helps visitors discover more about health concerns simply by clicking on a part of a model. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HealthWeb HealthWeb is a cooperative effort among more than 20 libraries to bring medical information to one place. The home page is a straightforward list of 64 links to major categories from AIDS to Women's Health. Each category leads to its own page of links, where the focus, level, and quality vary widely. Some links are to Websites that provide content, while others are to Websites that simply link to more sites; others are bibliographies and databases. HealthWeb may not be pretty, but if you're researching a rare condition, for example, and have come up with nothing, the librarians at HealthWeb might help you find the information you need. HealthWeb also features a minority health page. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic: see Mayo, Charles Horace. Mayo Clinic voluntary association of more than 500 physicians in Rochester, Minnesota. [Am. Hist.: EB, 11: 723] See : Medicine .com The Mayo Clinic site has tons of information, and we liked the emphasis on prevention. The site features top-level articles on topics such as avoiding E. coli E. coli: see Escherichia coli. E. coli in full Escherichia coli Species of bacterium that inhabits the stomach and intestines. E. coli can be transmitted by water, milk, food, or flies and other insects. infection and preventing falls in older adults, as well as Take Charge links to planning your nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and smoking cessation smoking cessation Public health Temporary or permanent halting of habitual cigarette smoking; withdrawal therapies–eg, hypnosis, psychotherapy, group counseling, exposing smokers to Pts with terminal lung CA and nicotine chewing gum are often ineffective. . The First Aid reference is a nice refresher for the course you've taken--or should have taken. (If you haven't, visit www.redcross.org. While you're there, find out if your local Bed Cross offers courses in first aid.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OncoLink The cancer site OncoLink was founded in 1994 by University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. cancer specialists and has an editorial advisory board of medical doctors. The site provides patients and their families with thorough information on types of cancer, as well as traditional treatment, and alternative and complementary treatment options. Site visitors can also find various concerns addressed, including social support and financial issues; and check in for the OncoLink tip of the day. Additionally, the site provides information on clinical trials, symptom management, meetings and conferences, book reviews, global resources (including information on medical fraud), patient home pages, and links to other quality sites. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Safety Alerts.com If you take medicine, eat, drive a car, or buy clothes--in short, if you're alive--you should pay a visit to Safety Alerts.com. Sign up for the free e-mail See Internet e-mail service. newsletter and you'll be notified of product recalls. All you have to do is scan the e-mail newsletter; if you see a recall on a product you've purchased, click a link to read the full article. The site also offers articles from HealthScout on everything from lead poisoning lead poisoning or plumbism (plŭm`bĭz'əm), intoxication of the system by organic compounds containing lead. to accident-prone personalities to cell phone safety. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Body: An Aids & HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. Information Resource At The Body, you can choose from 250 topic areas, connect with others on bulletin boards, and learn how to support or get help from top AIDS organizations and hotlines. The Body offers special sections on the basics and prevention of AIDS, such as causes and myths; issues with government, such as funding, mandatory testing, activist issues, and government contacts; and quality of life concerns, such as mental health, the workplace, religion, art, and humor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WebMD WebMD makes a great first stop for a wide variety of healthcare consumers. The site also provides provocative articles, Live Events, News Headlines, and these Health-E-Tools: Health Risk Appraisal, Target Heart Rate Calculator, Pregnancy Weight Gain Estimator, Nutrition Quiz, Kid's Height Predictor, Food Pyramid food pyramid or Food Guide Pyramid, diagram used in nutrition education that fits food groups into a triangle and notes that, for a healthful diet, those at the base should be eaten more frequently than those at the top. , and a host of others. You can also connect with an e-mail weight-loss buddy, comb the library for details on prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and find a listing of clinical trials. The site includes an emergency reference section covering topics from bleeding and shock to seizures. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prescriptions and Benefits In addition to general health sites, the Web is also home to sites that help visitors explore prescription and benefits options. Check out: * Family Meds.com * YesRx.com * RxPower (www.rxpower.com) * Ehancedbenefits.com |
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