Where to Find The Information You Need
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There is growing evidence that patients who participate in decisions about their health care do better than others. Here are some common sources of information:
Consumer Health
Information Providers
The federal government, nonprofit groups such as the American Heart Association and health plans including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Kaiser Permanente have gone into the patient information business in a big way. Using these various sources, you can find good basic information about your condition online or in print and may be able to talk on the telephone with a trained advice nurse.
Medical Journals
Publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association are valuable for those who want a high level of detail about a condition. But all medical journals are not equally authoritative, and it is wise to seek professional counsel before delving into the thousands in the National Library of Medicine's online database. Also, unless you are medically trained, findings in medical journals can be difficult to understand, and it can be hard to draw conclusions about what specific findings mean for you.
New Reports
Newspaper and TV reports are often about findings from single studies that may be exaggerated in order to make news. If you are not a scientist, you may lack the context into which the results of a new single study fit.
