The Savvy Senior Health Information Searcher Michelle Eberle, MLS Consumer Health Information Coordinator National Network of Libraries of Medicine New England Region

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 3 Essential 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 Internet The ABC’s of evaluation  Accuracy  Authority  Bias  Currency  Coverage  And, user friendliness

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

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 Eberle Consumer Health Information Coordinator National Network of Libraries of Medicine / New England Region (508) / (800)