Presentaci

1
ASK THE DOCTOR SERVICE IN www.abctusalud.com A
NEW SPANISH HEALTH SITE ONE YEARS EXPERIENCE
I. Morales, JR. Yuste, A. Ortega, I. Aquerreta,
B. Beorlegui, J. Giráldez, N. García.
Departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacy.
Clínica Universitaria de Navarra. Pamplona.
Spain.
Methods
Introduction
Results
Last year, the collaboration between an important
media group called Prensa Española, and the
University of Navarra resulted in the creation of
a new Spanish health site, abctusalud.com. The
aims of this site were mainly to educate people
in health topics and to help patients to better
understand and cope with their diseases.
For this purpose, abctusalud.com includes
specific information about more than 150 of the
more prevalent diseases, provided by professors
of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of
Navarra. There is also a wide medicine database,
with more than 750 drugs, specifically designed
for the site by the Pharmacy Department of the
Universitary Clinic. Moreover, the electronic
version of a complete medical dictionary, with
more than 18000 words, published by the Faculty
of Medicine of the University of Navarra, has
been included. Health advise, nutrition, sports
and medicine, health news and specific articles
elaborated by specialised health journalists
complete the materials that can be found in the
site. From the beginning, a special Ask the
doctor service, intended to enhance and
personalise the information on health and
diseases, was offered. This service has been
attended for a specialised medical team from the
Department of Internal Medicine of the
Universitary Clinic, and it also had the support
of all the specialists of this medical centre.
The same tool was offered by the Pharmacy
Department in order to answer their specific
questions.
n 7335
Discussion
n 2058
Discussion
The interest of Internet users on health topics
is very high and is well known in the US and
between English speakers. However, there is
little information about this kind of health
sites in Spanish language, and most of these
sites have been started in Spain very recently.
The number of questions received has slightly but
constantly increased during the first year of
this service. This service has been extensively
used for general questions and only scarcely for
very specialised ones, in consonance with the
purpose of this service, directed to provide
general information more than to promote a
specialised medical office. Near one fourth of
the questions came from America, showing the need
for a specific sites on Internet in Spanish
language.