Transcript Slide 1
How to find health information online Francesca Frati, librarian Arlene Greenberg, librarian Jacynthe Touchette, librarian Patient Information Specialists November 1 2012 Agenda 1. Why being informed is important 2. How to evaluate consumer health information 3. Overview of selected websites 4. Resources at the JGH Why do you look for health information? • Shared-decision making • • • • To understand information received from your health professional To participate in your health To be partners with your care To make informed decisions Why your health professional wants you to be informed Patient-centred care: • An informed patient is an empowered patient, better able to act as partner with his or her health professional (HP) with the goal of achieving improved health outcomes. • “shared or informed decision making, evidence based patient choice, or concordance.” 1. Coulter A, Ellins J. Effectiveness of strategies for informing, educating, and involving patients. BMJ 2007;335:24-27. Available from www.bmj.com In a nutshell… Why look online? • Accessible 24/7 from home/library • Free and fast • Relatively up-to-date • Easily check multiple sources • Interactive • Community: support groups and blogs Evaluating health information • Websites and blogs • In the news *or blogs •It is easy to navigate the website. •All the links work. •There is a copyright. Woodbury, Jeff. New York City: SPAT Artist, 2003. *or blogs •You can tell who created the website. •.edu •.gov •.org •You can contact the authors. •The authors provide their credentials. *or blogs •The authors are not selling something. •This symbol: on the page. is •You can verify the information. •You can see where the information came from. Evaluating web pages • Created in 1995, HON is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization, accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. *or blogs •You can tell who the information is meant for. •It is easy for you to read and understand the information. Which is the most important factor in determining health outcomes? a) Socioeconomic status b) Age/sex c) Literacy/ Health literacy d) Culture e) Level of education *or blogs •The information is current (the date is included). •You can see when the page was last updated. *or blogs If you answered yes to all, or most of, these questions then you can probably trust the information you are getting. Even if you can trust this information you should always ask your doctor for advice. Evaluating the news • Does the story include references? • Are these references authoritative? – Which study? • Journal name? • Author? • Date? – What kind of study? Overview of online consumer health resources Cancer • Canadian Cancer Society www.cancer.ca • American Cancer Society www.cancer.org • National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov French Cancer • CiSMeF-patients cancérologie www.chu-rouen.fr • Passeportsanté www.passeportsante.net • Info Cancer www.arcagy.org/infocancer • Fondation québécoise du cancer www.fqc.qc.ca General interest (and also cancer) • Medline Plus www.medlineplus.org • Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.com • Family Doctor www.familydoctor.org Complementary and Alternative • BC Cancer Agency www.bccancer.bc.ca/PPI/UnconventionalTherapies/default.htm • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://nccam.nih.gov • Health Canada – Licensed Natural Health Products Database www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/applications/licen-prod/lnhpdbdpsnh-eng.php • Natural Standard http://3rdparty.naturalstandard.com/frameset.asp Free medical research sites • PubMed www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed • Clinical Trials www.clinicaltrials.gov • Google Scholar http://scholar.google.ca NB Not all indexed articles are free- we can provide access to the full text at the PFRC Dictionaries/encyclopedias • MedlinePlus www.medlineplus.org English • HONselect www.hon.ch/HONselect Multiple • Terminologie CISMeF http://terminologiecismef.chu-rouen.fr English<>French • Canadian cancer encyclopedia http://info.cancer.ca/cce-ecc/default.aspx?Lang=E Bilingual Patient and Family Resource Centre (PFRC) JGH.ca/PFRC Search the PEN collection You may be referred to us… * *Medical Advice not included PFRC Disclaimer This information should not be considered as medical advice. It is not to be used in place of a visit with a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional. If you have questions about your individual medical situation, please consult with your healthcare professional. Thank you! Questions?