Online Consumer Health Resources

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Online Consumer Health Resources
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MedlinePlus

• Released in 1998
• Authoritative, up-to-date consumer health
  information for patients and family members
• Reviewed by specialists
• Preformulated PubMed searches
• No advertising
• No endorsements
• Its FREE

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Why Do We Need MedlinePlus?

• 113 million American adults have searched for
  information on at least one of seventeen health
  topics
• 58 of those who found the internet to be crucial
  or important during a loved ones recent health
  crisis say the single most important source of
  information was something they found online
• Very few check the source and date of the
  information they find

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Whats In MedlinePlus?

• 750 Health Topics
• Drug, Herbs and Supplements Information
• Medical Dictionary and Illustrated Encyclopedia
• Interactive Health Tutorials
• Surgery Videos Health Check Tools
• Easy to Read Articles and Low Vision Materials
• Daily Health News
• En Español, and other languages
• Directories of Services - In Your Community!

http//medlineplus.gov/
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Genetics Home Reference

• Launched April 2003
• Makes genetics and its relationship to disease
  more understandable to the general public
• First database developed to address the genetic
  information needs of the consumer
• Topics added and updated on a regular basis
• Completely confidential
• Content reviewed by experts in human genetics

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Why do we need GHR?

• Shotgun sequencing? Exon scanning? Restriction
  fragment length polymorphism analysis ?
• Decoding the human genome created the need to
  bridge consumer questions and technical data from
  sequencing the human genome
• Rapid and complex developments in genetics made
  easily understandable

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Whats in Genetics Home Reference?

• Genetic Condition Summaries
• Gene Summaries
• Chromosome Summaries
• Help Me Understand Genetics
• Glossary
• And, links to the clinicaltrials.gov website, a
  geographic listing of genetic counselors, and
  information for care-givers.
• Arginase deficiency

http//ghr.nlm.nih.gov/
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Clinical Trials

• Released in 2000
• Created under a federal mandate to make
  information available to the public
• Easy to use site for finding current studies on
  diseases, conditions, and treatments
• Completely confidential

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Why do we need ClinicalTrials.gov?

• Resource for patients overall medical care
• Clinical trial participants can play an active
  role in their own health care
• Patients can gain access to new research
  treatments
• Help others by contributing to medical research
• Have access to expert medical care during the
  trial

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Whats in ClinicalTrials.gov

• 59,218 trials in 157 countries
• Federally and privately supported research
• Find studies testing the effect of experimental
  drugs, devices and procedures for diseases and
  conditions
• Glossary of clinical trial terms
• FAQ on participating in a clinical trial
• Site has over 50,000 visitors a day!

www.clinicaltrials.gov
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NIH Senior Health

• Launched in 2003
• Tested on groups aged 60-88
• Developed by the National Institute on Aging and
  the National Library of Medicine
• Focuses on seniors and their caregivers
• Health topics page includes background
  information, videos, quizzes, and FAQs
• Accessibility features including ability to
  enlarge images and text size use high contrast
  color and activate talking Web

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Why do we need NIH-SH?

• Nearly one out of every four US households is
  involved in care giving to persons aged 50 and
  over
• More than one quarter (26.6) of the adult
  population has provided care for a chronically
  ill, disabled or aged family member or friend
  during the past yearthats more than 50 million
• In 2005, 41 of people 50 and older reported that
  someone in their household provided unpaid help
  to a relative or friend age 50 and older
• By 2010, people age 50-64 will increase by 21,
  and the population age of 65 by 33
• Seniors dont use the Internet, or do they? A
  2005 AARP Aging Indicators Study found the
  following
• 65 ages 50-64
• 45 ages 65-74
• Average life expectancy 77.3 years

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Whats in NIH-SH?

• 37 health topics specific to seniors
• Causes and prevention
• Symptoms and diagnosis
• Treatments and research
• Senior exercise stories
• Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Information
• Links to MedlinePlus for more health topic
  information
• Cataracts
• Williams exercise story
• Trainers Toolkit to help older adults learn to
  search online health information

http//nihseniorhealth.gov/
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National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM)

• Established in 1998
• Lead federal agency for scientific research on
  complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
• Sponsors and conducts research in alternative
  healing practices and medicine
• Authoritative information for consumers and
  health professionals
• In English and Spanish

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Why do we need NCCAM?

• 36 of adults are using some form of CAM
• 62 when adding megavitamins and prayer for
  health reasons
• 26 of adults tried CAM at the suggestion of
  their conventional doctor
• 55 of adults use CAM w/conventional treatments
• More than half of the nearly 1 in 5 adults using
  herbal medicine did not tell their doctor

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Whats in NCCAM?

• Current clinical trials involving CAM
  treatments/therapies
• Treatments and therapies
• Diseases and conditions
• Side effects and cautions
• Scientific research on effectiveness
• Information on being an informed CAM consumer
• Online and phone assistance to answer questions
  on CAM

http//nccam.nih.gov/
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Household Products Database (HPD)

• Launched in 2003
• Links over 7,000 consumer brands to health
  effects
• Search by product categories, product brand
  names, manufacturers, or ingredients
• Products selected by market share and shelf
  presence
• Where to locate recalled products
• Updated at least twice a year

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Why do we need HPD?

• 23,618 accidental poisoning deaths in 2005
• 703,702 accidental poisoning ER visits in 2006
• 1.5 million calls placed to poison control
  centers in 2006
• 90 of poison exposures occurred in the home

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Whats In HPD?

• Chemical ingredients in products you buy and use
• Potential health effects of ingredients
• Contact information for product manufacturers
• Information comes from product lable s and
  manufacturers fact sheets
• Auto, cleaning, pesticides, personal care, arts
  crafts, pet care, home office, and more!

http//householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/
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Contact Information

• Dana Abbey
• Consumer Health Liaison
• National Network of Libraries of
  Medicine-MidContinental Region
• University of Colorado Denver, Health Sciences
  Library
• 12950 E. Montview Blvd., A003, Box 6508
• Aurora, Colorado 80045
• Dana.abbey_at_ucdenver.edu