 Medical and Mental Health Information
Medical mis-information abounds on the Internet. Traditional search engines provide many pages of references but no way to evaluate their usefulness. The links on this page will lead you to free medical-information sites that appear neutral, reliable, and uncluttered with commercial advertisements. They are well known to medical librarians if not the general public. Some are broad in scope; others are focused on specific topics. Neither the VCC nor ASU endorses their contents, nor should they substitute for consultation with a health care provider.
The links below are in alphabetical order. MedlinePlus is perhaps the most frequently visited site and would be a good place to begin your search.
Click here to access resource pages for specific medical conditions. These links supplement rather than replace the basic reference materials above.
The treatment of mental health issues in the links above is spotty; for these you should begin with informational materials from the following sources:
- Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies fact sheets , in pamphlet format, contain synopses of symptoms for clinical problems and illustrations of appropriate evidenced-based interventions.
- American Psychological Association’s (APA) free on-line publications: Articles on topics ; note especially the “Internal APA Resources” section within each topic area. Brochures and fact sheets from the APA Help Center.
- National Institute of Mental Health free on-line publications in three formats (easy to read, fact sheets, and booklets) on a wide array of clinical problems and topics.
General and specific sources of first aid information are also readily available on the web. Continuous chest compression CPR is an important new public health tool deserving of widespread publicity.
Some people are motivated to become fully informed about recent scientific developments. The National Library of Medicine is an advanced resource with links, for example, to cutting edge scientific literature (Entrez, PubMed, and PubMed Central), studies on marketed drugs (DailyMed), and participation in clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov). A clearinghouse also exists for reliable “gray” literature, i.e., that not found in traditional publication outlets.
Learning how to recognize bad information and advice requires an appreciation of the scientific method, including specific topics such as placebo effect, clinical trial, randomized controlled trial, meta-analysis, and evidence-based medicine. Wikipedia’s coverage of these concepts and their related links approximates that of a college course in this area. You need not master this subject matter yourself in order to become an informed consumer as long as you recognize that following advice not grounded on the scientific method may be hazardous to your health. Read about the deaths of George Washington and Steve McQueen for intriguing illustrations.
Much of the tension between traditional and alternative medicine derives from nuances within the scientific method. Advocates of alternative medicine point out that all effective traditional treatments began as unproven ideas. Critics counter that the burden of proof rests on the shoulders of proponents and increases with the passage of time; only a small fraction of new interventions survive empirical scrutiny. Then again, what ought one do if the traditional approach fails to benefit? A distrust of anecdotal reports and at least a rudimentary knowledge of scientific methodology will ensure that you make the best decisions for yourself and/or those entrusted to your care. The issues and options involved are explicated more fully at the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
A number of websites provide information about hospitals, health care providers, and health insurance:
Health care providers are licensed by individual states. Outside of Arizona a Google search on the profession’s name, the word “license,” and the name of the state will likely lead you to the appropriate agency. A website at the University of Kentucky maintains a list of relevant national links on psychologists and counselors.
Finally, Microsoft and Google recently released competing free applications for storing your medical records on-line. Advocates note that the advantages of a single information repository for individuals facing geographic relocation, consulting different health care providers, taking multiple medications, and so forth are strong responses to privacy concerns raised by critics.
On-line options for storing your medical records:
Copyright 2008, Susan C. Shelly, BSN, MLS and John J. Horan, Ph.D. |
