Scripps Howard (Apr 23, 11:37 AM) The next time you go to the doctor, your physician might hand you a slip of paper that contains not the name of a prescription drug, but an Internet address.
It won't be one of the hundreds of medical Web sites dotting the Internet that are sponsored by commercial interest, but rather the National Library of Medicine's own official consumer site, MedlinePlus.gov.
"Part of an internist's job is to explain illnesses and diagnoses to their patients," said Dr. Whitney Addington, chairman of the American College of Physicians Foundation board of trustees, which is formally encouraging the information prescriptions. "MedlinePlus provides authoritative, user friendly and commercial-free information that doctors can use to supplement information provided in the office or clinic."
The college's 115,000 members are being given special "prescription pads" to refer patients to the appropriate part of the Web site for more information about their conditions. The new program was announced Thursday during the American College of Physicians' annual meeting.
"Physicians have always known that an informed patient who takes an active role is a 'better' patient," said Dr. Donald Lindberg, director of the library, part of the National Institutes of Health. "We believe that both patients and their doctors will welcome this additional medical tool."
Until recently, doctors have supplemented their discussions with patients by giving them brochures or pamphlets that are seldom tailored to meet individual needs or concerns. Yet surveys show that of adults who go online, as many as 80 percent use the Internet to find health care information, and most say it helps them get better health care.
Addington said health content on the Internet can range from clinical research to pharmaceutical promotions and sites hawking herbal and mineral supplements.
"It's not easy to determine the credibility or validity of online health information," he said. "MedlinePlus is a site physicians use, and it's also consumer friendly for patients."
Medline Plus has information on more than 650 diseases and conditions, and links to pre-formulated searches of the MEDLINE database to allow readers to find references to the latest professional articles o health topics.
Under each topic, there are sections on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, current news stories, research studies, clinical trials, helpful graphics and interactive tutorials. Most of the information is also available in Spanish.
The program was given a test run in Georgia and Iowa by more than 500 doctors and their patients. Monitors found that 97 percent of the physicians in the program made information referrals to the Web site, and 59 percent used the pads. Twenty percent of the doctors reported an increase in patients bringing Internet information to an office visit.
On the Net: www.MedlinePlus.gov
(Contact Lee Bowman at BowmanL(at)shns.com or online at http://www.shns.com)
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