how to search online for reliable health information diabetes
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO SEARCH ONLINE FOR RELIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION
Focus: Diabetes
Vasumathi SriganeshQMed Knowledge Foundation
DISCLAIMER
This talk will NOT include:
• Facts / teaching ‘about’ diabetes• Recommendations of good doctors / hospitals• Treatment options
It focuses on searching online for information about diabetes – the disease & related information
DO SHARE WITH US…
• How many of you use the Internet to seek health information about diabetes?
• What is your approach when you search?– Directly go to specific site/s?– Use search engines? – Which one/s?
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR
Finding professionals/institutions
Understanding diseases / conditions
CLASSIFYING RESOURCES
RECAP
THREE MAIN CATEGORIES
• Type – IBackground & factual information. Eg: Books / Textbooks, Dictionaries
• Type – IICurrent and past research. Eg: Journals, “Clinical trial websites”
• Type – IIIAnswers – for managing diseases / conditions
Eg: ‘Cochrane Summaries’
WEBSITES
Can be • Single type • Combination types
Learn to identify what type of information each website provides!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
MEDLINEPLUSTypes I and II (little of III)
www.medlineplus.gov
DEMO – Medlineplus – information on Diabetes
PUBMED HEALTH
Type I and III
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/
TYPE I
TYPE III
DEMO
• Diabetes Mellitus – PubMed Health– Combination of Types I and III
COCHRANE SUMMARIES
Type III
summaries.cochrane.org
DEMO
• Rosiglitazone
COCHRANE GROUP
• Experts from different medical fields– “Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group”
• Cochrane Consumer Network
http://consumers.cochrane.org/
INDIAN RESOURCES
www.nhp.org.in
AYUSH RESEARCH PORTAL
Type II and III
ayushportal.ap.nic.in
DIRECTORY OF
INDIAN MEDICAL SITES
Type I
www.indianmedicalsites.in
PART IVFoundational Principles of
Searching
RESEARCH – BEST RESOURCES
• Type III (Cochrane summaries / PubMed Health)
• Type II - Journal articles –Best located through ‘PubMed’
www.pubmed.gov
SEARCH PRINCIPLE - I
‘Keyword searches’• Results – ‘contain’ the keywords• May / may not be about search term
SEARCH PRINCIPLES II & III
Databases like PubMed have ‘fields’ for every record• You can search for your keyword in ‘one or more
fields’
Often we search for more than one term. • We can combine searches using ‘AND’, ‘OR’ or ‘NOT’
USE OF AND, OR, NOT
Combining two (or more) terms with
• AND – Results must contain both (or all) terms
• OR – Results will contain any one or any combination
• NOT – Results will contain the first word but not subsequent word / words
SEARCH PRINCIPLE IV
• Every record in PubMed is ‘tagged’ with special keywords that ‘describe’ the article
• These keywords are called ‘MeSH’ terms• MeSH = Medical Subject Headings• Searching with MeSH terms gets maximum relevance
DEMO
• Diabetic retinopathy – prognosis• Diabetes – patient handouts
SEARCHING CORRECTLY
• Word search – presence of the word• Field search – presence of the search word in a
specific area• Combinations: AND, OR, NOT• Searching with MeSH = Maximum relevance
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
• Searching is a structured art and science• Know where to go
– Authentic resources – updated regularly• Search correctly• Evidence may/may not exist• Take your decision with your doctor, based on
“best available evidence”
OUR DREAM FOR CONSUMERS
Helping patients & their caregivers to seek reliable information and participate responsibly in health care decisions
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
• Fact sheet – you will get one now
• Searching for specific needs– “I am 37 and wish to have a baby now. How safe is it”– “My doctor has given a choice of two chemotherapy drugs for my
mother. How do I choose”
– Consulting sessions to help you • Search and discuss with your doctor – but NOT • Medical advice – which your doctor will give you
www.qmed.org.in