The Savvy Senior Health Information Searcher

Michelle Eberle, MLSConsumer Health Information CoordinatorNational Network of Libraries of Medicine

New England Regionhttp://nnlm.gov

Consumer Health – then and now… 1972 – Patient Bill of Rights 2002 – Pew Internet and American Life 2006 – “Googling for a diagnosis” [BMJ] 2006 – Pew Internet and American Life

How are we searching for health information? 80 percent of US Internet uses have searched for

health information 66 percent started at a search engine 72 percent searched multiple sites Most felt confident in their search Only a quarter of online health seekers said they

always or usually check the source and date Half of the searches on the Internet are on behalf

of someone else

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, “Online Health Searches”, 2006

Realities of health care today Patients are now asked to make major

decisions about their own disease process Most patients do not have the tools to

make these kinds of decision You can improve your skills at accessing

quality health information and learning to integrate that information into your behavior.

Health literacy The ability to read, understand and act on

health information [Pfizer 2002] The degree to which individuals have the

capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions [Healthy People 2010]

Pop Quiz Take five minutes to answer the five

question health literacy quiz. We will review the answers together.

Why is health literacy so critical? Essential life skill Public health imperative Essential part of social capital Critical economic issue

Source: “Navigating Health: The Role of Health Literacy”, Kickbusch

Ask Me 3Essential questions to ask your doctor:

1. What is my main problem?2. What do I need to do?3. Why is it important for me to do this?

Source: Ask Me 3, Partnership for Clear Communication

Consumer Health on the InternetThe ABC’s of evaluation Accuracy Authority Bias Currency Coverage And, user friendliness

http://medlineplus.gov

Highlights of MedlinePlus 700 health topics Patient education tutorials Drug and herbal supplement information Medical encyclopedia and medical dictionary Go Local Directories Support groups, health associations Health check tools Surgery videos

Examples of information you can find on MedlinePlus… Nutrition, wellness, prevention Women and men’s health Health conditions and treatment Complementary and alternative therapies Over the counter and prescription drugs Directories of health care providers Directories of hospitals Support groups, health associations

http://nihseniorhealth.gov

Highlights of NIH Senior Health Senior friendly format Short pages Ability to easily change text size, visual

contrast and add audio to the page Videos Share your exercise stories

Examples of information you can find on NIH Senior Health Senior specific health topics

Balance problems Falls and older adults Sleep and aging Osteoporosis Exercise and older adults

Over 30 different senior health topics!

No computer, no worries… You may access the Internet at you local

public library. Also, your public librarian can help you

find the information you are seeking.

Let’s go live

Thank you!Contact information:

Michelle EberleConsumer Health Information Coordinator

National Network of Libraries of Medicine / New England Region

michelle.eberle@umassmed.edu(508) 856-2435 / (800) 338-7657

http://nnlm.gov