Health videos for some frequently asked questions (with additional related resources)

No, this is not from the Mercy hospital system here in Toledo. However, the Health Library at Mercy Health is a good resource for consumer  questions on topics ranging from “what causes wheezing?” to “tracking your blood pressure at home”,  or even something along the lines of  what’s “the difference between a cold and the flu” .
Related resources

Consumer/Patient

• Videos and Cool Tools (MedlinePlus) has consumer level links to videos on topics such as human anatomy, surgical procedures and health news.
• Medical Animation Library (Penn State) From MedlinePlus, but sorted by medical specialty

Health Professional

• Video Center for Medical Professionals (Mayo Clinic) features select Grand Rounds lectures and other presentations for medical professionals on recent innovations in patient care, research and education. Watch videos describing advances in disease and condition treatment, procedures and surgeries. New presentations are added regularly.
• Proquest Nursing and Allied Health Source Select Advanced Search and limit with Audio and Video works
• JOVE- Journal of Visualized Experiments (2006-2 years ago)

• A few from  the Univ of Toledo Medical Laboratory Science -Images and Videos LibGuide page by Librarian Wade Lee – check it out for many more links, including narrower topicsasparasitology,hematology, and pathology.
  • Clinical Key Videos
    Videos taken from electronic texts available through ClinicalKey. Use the term video in the initial search, as video AND brain. (For some reason the term brain alone does not produce any video results). Then limit the results by selecting videos under Filter by source type: videos. Also check out Procedures Consult (limit to videos).
  • Health Education Assets Library (HEAL)
    A digital library that provides freely accessible digital teaching resources of the highest quality that meet the needs of today’s health sciences educators and learners. Search the collection using phrases as –> videos AND brain\
    
  • AccessMedicine
    Videos taken from electronic texts available through AccessMedicine. Select Videos by Category or Videos by System under the Multimedia tab.
  • Open-i
    Image search engine from the National Library of Medicine. Includes limits by imaging type [as videos] , medical specialty, etc. Can also search by image.
    http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/detailedresult.php?img=3232527_IPC-6-1-g008&query=lung&it=xg&vid=1&req=4&npos=28
• From the Univ of Toledo Videos LibGuide by Librarian Wade Lee
  On the Health Science Campus, the Library maintains most of its multimedia collection on reserve at the Mulford Access Services Desk.  It is best to search for this material in the UT Library Catalog and select Health Sci Lib and AUDIOVISUAL” or “DIGITAL VIDEO” or “DVD/VIDEOCASSETTE” from the search drop-down menus.

Related articles

• Influenza and sepsis: Mayo expert describes warning signs of severe sepsis, septic shock
• Mayo researchers find cancer biopsies do not promote cancer spread

[Reblog] Reaching Out in Rural Tennessee: Librarian Helps People Live Better Lives

From the 1 November 2013 NLM in Focus article

For Rick Wallace, health science librarian and professor at Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University (ETSU), community outreach encompasses the entire state.  He travels thousands of miles across Tennessee each year bringing vital health information to those in need, especially in rural communities.

“I love getting out from behind a desk and traveling to rural communities where people need health information,” he says.

In recognition of his singular dedication to the rural underserved, the Friends of the National Library of Medicine named Wallace the recipient of the 2013 Michael E. DeBakey Library Sciences Outreach Award. The national honor is bestowed annually on a health sciences librarian for outstanding service to rural or underserved populations and is presented at the 2013 FNLM awards gala.

“Being a health science librarian is a very personal thing,” says Wallace. “There’s a lot of technology out there now and it’s real easy to just sit in your office and tell people about the latest app. But for me it means getting out there and being involved in the community.

“I want every rural hospital and health center to have access to quality health information, to know how to search PubMed databases, use document delivery tools like Loansome  Doc, and feel comfortable browsing MedlinePlus for consumer health information. They’re the best in the world, all part of the greatest biomedical library in the world, the National Library of Medicine.”

Wallace began his calling in health sciences at the University of Tennessee, Memphis Health Sciences Library, working in circulation, in 1987, before finally finding his way to ETSU in 1995.

Over the years, he has seen the medical librarianship position become more tenuous as large corporate hospitals acquire smaller local hospitals, consolidating them and eliminating library positions. “One of my biggest challenges now is selling the vision of the health science librarian as essential in the information age. There is such a push to cut everything that is not mandated. It can be tough to get some of these big medical institutions to recognize the value of a health science librarian.”

Wallace has spearheaded projects that have taken him back and forth across Tennessee. One such is “A Simple Plan,” which offers instruction in consumer health information for public librarians. For more than six years, Wallace and his assistants traveled thousands of miles annually training public librarians, distributing over 1500 articles over the last 17 years,  and building relationships with some 40 rural hospitals and clinics, helping them obtain grants and pointing the way for rural public health departments to provide remote access to health information.

Wallace and his group also have shaped consumer health information programs for Hispanic farm workers, high school students, elderly patients and staff in nursing homes, and cancer patients. They have trained caregivers, religious leaders, and others to use health information tools. They’ve distributed smartphones, tablet computers—complete with clinical software—and other mobile devices to some 300 Tennessee clinicians.

For example, working with the Migrant Health Program for Rural Medical Services, Inc. (RMS), in Parrottsville, TN, which operates one of five primary care clinics in the state and provides primary healthcare to migrant farm workers in East Tennessee, Wallace initiated and helped write a series of grant proposals that brought NN/LM funding for innovative health education programs.

One grant brought community theater actors to the migrant camps to demonstrate good health practices for diabetes, perinatal care, and other topics. The grants also facilitated production of Spanish-language videos on prenatal care, and funded purchase of laptop computers and printers for Migrant Health Program educators, enabling them to access health information during home visits to the underserved.

Wallace also led a team on several Remote Area Medical (RAM) expeditions to provide free medical, dental, and vision care and information to more than 2,500 of the working poor.

Lucretia W. McClure, MA, of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the National Library of Medicine, lauds Wallace as “an active and integral contributor in serving rural and underserved members of Tennessee for almost 20 years.” She notes, “He has reached thousands of people and raised almost a half a million dollars in grants that have contributed to the betterment of overall health in rural Tennessee.”

Says Wallace, “A lot of the things we do are simple, but they make a difference. We try to make an impact; to help people make good medical decisions. I’d like to be remembered as only one of the mighty army of health professionals who helped people live better lives.”

By Thomas Conuel, NLM in Focus writer 

 

Related articles

• Should your doctor consult the librarian? (futurity.org)
• National Medical Librarians Month (phlibraryres.wordpress.com)

 

NLM Director’s Comments Transcript Care Benefits from EHRs: 10/28/2013

English: MedlinePlus logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

From the 28 October 2013 Director’s Comments Blog

 

Greetings from the National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus.gov

Regards to all our listeners!

I’m Rob Logan, Ph.D. senior staff National Library of Medicine for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Here is what’s new this week in MedlinePlus.

Emergency room use and hospitalization rates for diabetes patients declined after a large California medical provider introduced an electronic health records system, finds a five year study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study of 170,000 Kaiser Permanente Northern California diabetes patients (from 2004-2009) found an average of 501 emergency department visits per 1000 patients declined to 490 after Kaiser’s clinics began to use an electronic health records system (EHR) for outpatient treatment.

The study found an average of 252 hospitalizations per 1000 diabetes patients declined to 238 per 1000 after Kaiser Permanente’s clinics used the health care provider’s EHR. The specific hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions also fell from a mean of 67 per 1000 to about 60 per 1000 diabetes patients after the use of an EHR for diabetes outpatient treatment.

The comparative, overall declines in emergency department visits and aforementioned hospitalizations among Kaiser Permanente’s diabetes patients were statistically significant, or did not occur by chance. There was no overall difference in the frequency of patient visits to a physician’s office after Kaiser’s clinics began to use the health system’s EHR.

The study’s nine authors estimate Kaiser’s cost savings from reduced emergency department and hospitalizations were about $158,478 per 1000 patients each year. Overall, they write (and we quote): ‘the estimated reductions in emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations that we identified for patients with diabetes may have potential to affect ED and hospitalization costs’ (end of quote).

The authors acknowledge future research needs to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the cost savings after the implementation of an EHR. They add the findings are limited to diabetes patients within one large health care provider (within one U.S. state) and may not be generalizable to other states and different medical systems. For example, the authors explain the reductions in emergency department use and reduced hospitalizations were not uniform among all of the 17 Kaiser Permanente clinics where the five year study was conducted.

On the other hand, the authors note the study is the most comprehensive to date about the impact of outpatient EHR use on adverse health outcomes. The authors explain they assessed diabetes patients in order to observe the impact of EHR use on an outpatient basis among adults with a chronic (or ongoing) medical condition over time.

The authors conclude (and we quote): ‘We extend the evidence of EHR-related improvements in care delivery by further describing statistically significant modest reductions in downstream adverse health outcomes measured by ED visits and hospitalizations’ (end of quote).

Meanwhile, MedlinePlus.gov’s personal health records health topic page provides information about the physician adoption of EHRs in the ‘statistics’ section. Information about the adoption of EHRs within residential care communities and office-based physicians also is provided within the same section.

A overview that explains how and why EHRs are implemented in medical centers is available in the ‘MedlinePlus Magazine’ section of MedlinePlus.gov’s personal health records health topic page.

A helpful explanation (from the National Institutes of Health) about how to protect the privacy and security of your health information is available in the ‘related issues’ section of MedlinePlus.gov’s personal health records health topic page.

MedlinePlus.gov’s personal health records health topic page also provides links to the latest pertinent journal research articles, which are available in the ‘journal articles’ section. Links to clinical trials that may be occurring in your area are available in the ‘clinical trials’ section. You can sign up to receive updates about personal health records (and EHRs) as they become available on MedlinePlus.gov.

To find MedlinePlus.gov’s personal health records health health topic page, type ‘personal health records’ in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov’s home page. Then, click on ‘personal health records (National Library of Medicine).’

 

Before I go, this reminder… MedlinePlus.gov is authoritative. It’s free. We do not accept advertising …and is written to help you.

To find MedlinePlus.gov, just type in ‘MedlinePlus.gov’ in any web browser, such as Firefox, Safari, Netscape, Chrome or Explorer. To find Mobile MedlinePlus.gov, just type ‘Mobile MedlinePlus’ in the same web browsers.

We encourage you to use MedlinePlus and please recommend it to your friends. MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish. Some medical information is available in 43 other languages.

Your comments about this or any of our podcasts are always welcome. We welcome suggestions about future topics too!

Please email Dr. Lindberg anytime at: NLMDirector@nlm.nih.gov

That’s NLMDirector (one word) @nlm.nih.gov

A written transcript of recent podcasts is available by typing ‘Director’s comments’ in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov’s home page.

The National Library of Medicine is one of 27 institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A disclaimer — the information presented in this program should not replace the medical advice of your physician. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any disease without first consulting with your physician or other health care provider.

It was nice to be with you. I look forward to meeting you here next week.

 

 

 

 

NLM Director’s Comments Transcript Caregiver Assistance & Better Communication: 09/30/2013

From the 30 September 2013 transcript by Robert Logan, Director of the US National Library of Medicine

Greetings from the National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus.gov

Regards to all our listeners!

I’m Rob Logan, Ph.D. senior staff National Library of Medicine for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Here is what’s new this week in MedlinePlus.

The extent of caregivers’ assistance to patients — and suggested strategies for physicians to assist caregivers — are detailed in an interesting commentary recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The commentary’s author (who is a professor at Harvard Medical School) explains about 42 million Americans are caregivers and they assist patients for an average of 20 hours a week. Muriel Gillick M.D. reports the majority of caregivers are middle-aged women caring for aging parents.

Dr. Gillick notes caregivers often assist patients with daily living activities, such as shopping, cooking, bathing, and dressing. However, Dr. Gillick writes (and we quote) “Nearly half of all caregivers report responsibility for complex medical tasks that often are the province of a professional nurse or trained technician’ (end of quote).

Dr. Gillick finds caregivers report they are responsible for clinical activities including: diet adherence, wound care, treating pressure ulcers, providing medications and intravenous fluids, as well as operating medical equipment.

Dr. Gillick notes the recipients of caregiving are likely to be seniors in the last stages of their life. In the year before death, Dr. Gillick explains only 17 percent of Americans are without a disability while about 22 percent have a persistent severe disability. She reports the largest groups of caregiver-dependent adults include seniors who are frail or have advanced dementia. Dr. Gillick notes about 28 percent of Americans are frail and 14 percent have advanced dementia in their last year of life.

Dr. Gillick adds patients who are frail or have dementia often cannot participate in the management of their care, which necessitates a caregiver’s involvement. Dr. Gillick writes (and we quote): ‘If (end of life) medical care is to be patient centered, reflecting the values (patients) no longer have the cognitive capacity to articulate, clinicians must rely on surrogates to guide them. Yet, few programs caring for patients with dementia (or frailty) regularly incorporate caregivers in every phase of care’ (end of quote).

To improve assistance to caregivers, Dr. Gillick suggests physicians need to better explain a patient’s underlying health condition as well as work with caregivers to prioritize a patient’s health care goals.

Dr. Gillick adds caregivers should be encouraged to provide input about a patient’s surroundings as well as more fully participate in health care planning in a partnership with attending physicians.

Dr. Gillick notes caregivers are especially helpful in creating a continuity of patient care within different settings. She writes (and we quote): ‘In the complex US health care system, in which patients are cared for in the home, the physician’s office, the hospital, and the skilled nursing facility, the most carefully thought-out plan of care will prove useless unless its details can be transmitted across sites’ (end of quote).

Dr. Gillick concludes physicians as well as health care organizations need to provide more educational support to help caregivers.

Meanwhile, MedlinePlus.gov’s caregivers health topic page provides comprehensive information about caregiving’s medical and emotional challenges. For example, a helpful website from the American Academy of Family Physicians (available in the ‘start here’ section) helps caregivers maintain their health and wellness.

A similar website that addresses overcoming caregiver burnout (from the American Heart Association) can be found in the ‘coping’ section of MedlinePlus.gov’s caregivers health topic page.

In addition, there are special sections loaded with tips to provide caregiving to seniors as well as women and children within MedlinePlus.gov’s caregivers health topic page.

MedlinePlus.gov’s caregivers health topic page also provides links to the latest pertinent journal research articles, which are available in the ‘journal articles’ section. Links to clinical trials that may be occurring in your area are available in the ‘clinical trials’ section. You can sign up to receive updates about caregiving as they become available on MedlinePlus.gov.

To find MedlinePlus.gov’s caregivers health topic page, type ‘caregiver’ in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov’s home page. Then, click on ‘caregivers (National Library of Medicine).’ MedlinePlus.gov additionally features health topic pages on Alzheimer’s caregivers, child care, and home care services.

It is helpful to see JAMA address some caregiving issues. Let’s hope other medical journals will help educate caregivers and encourage more physician-caregiver communication.

Before I go, this reminder… MedlinePlus.gov is authoritative. It’s free. We do not accept advertising …and is written to help you.

To find MedlinePlus.gov, just type in ‘MedlinePlus.gov’ in any web browser, such as Firefox, Safari, Netscape, Chrome or Explorer. To find Mobile MedlinePlus.gov, just type ‘Mobile MedlinePlus’ in the same web browsers.

We encourage you to use MedlinePlus and please recommend it to your friends. MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish. Some medical information is available in 43 other languages.

Your comments about this or any of our podcasts are always welcome. We welcome suggestions about future topics too!

Please email Dr. Lindberg anytime at: NLMDirector@nlm.nih.gov

That’s NLMDirector (one word) @nlm.nih.gov

A written transcript of recent podcasts is available by typing ‘Director’s comments’ in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov’s home page.

The National Library of Medicine is one of 27 institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A disclaimer — the information presented in this program should not replace the medical advice of your physician. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any disease without first consulting with your physician or other health care provider.

It was nice to be with you. I look forward to meeting you here next week.

 

 

Read entire transcript here

 

MedlinePlus RSS and Content Sharing Enhancements

From the US National Library of Medicine Announcement

In June 2011, the National Library of Medicine® (NLM ®) released several enhancements that improve users’ ability to share and consume MedlinePlus® content. MedlinePlus now offers RSS feeds for every health topic page on the site — nearly 1,800 feeds for MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español combined. Whenever MedlinePlus adds a new link to a health topic page, the item appears as an entry on the corresponding health topic RSS feed. Users can subscribe to a customized selection of RSS feeds based on their specific interests using the RSS reader/aggregator of their choice. Links to the health topic feeds are available on all health topic pages, the MedlinePlus RSS Feeds page, and via any Web browser’s RSS auto-detect feature.

In addition to the health topic feeds, MedlinePlus now offers two new English RSS feeds allowing users to subscribe to all new links added to MedlinePlus and all new NIH links added to MedlinePlus. These feeds are available on theRSS Feeds page under the heading “General Interest RSS Feeds.” For Spanish-language users, MedlinePlus provides one new RSS feed that contains all new links added to MedlinePlus en español. This feed is available from the Spanish RSS Feeds page.

NLM also unveiled enhancements to the print, email, and AddThis® icons on MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus en español health topic pages. These icons now appear above the topic summary, and the Facebook® and Twitter®sharing options are more prominent, making it easier for users to share content in these very popular social networks (see Figure 1).

Related articles

• MedlinePlus the Magazine – Online Health Information Journal for the Public (aa47.wordpress.com)
• New MedlinePlus Tour Now Available (aa47.wordpress.com)

Health Information Technology Resources from NN/LM

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region has a Web page devoted to health information technology resources. It includes links to pdf files of the presentations at the December 2010 meeting – “EHRs and Librarians: A Symposium”.

From the web page

Health information technology (Health IT or HIT) describes the management and secure exchange of health information among consumers, providers, government entities, and insurance agencies. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are a special focus of HIT. EHR’s can assist in maintaining an accurate picture of a patient’s health and to more securely share information between doctors. Using an EHR can replace paper medical records to maintain your health information.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Personal Health Records (PHRs)

In December 2010, the GMR held a meeting called “EHRs and Librarians: A Symposium” before the fall RAC meeting in December 2010. Below are pdf files of the presentations.

Regional Extension Centers – David Sweet

Summary: Overview about what Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are doing to assist health professionals with implementation of electronic health records; what AHIMA is doing related to RECs, and possible roles for librarians.

Using New Digital Resources to Promote and Understand PHRs – Allison Vance

Summary: Learn about AHIMA’s consumer education campaign, my Personal Health Record (myPHR), and the various digital resources available to librarians interested in assisting patients and community members with learning more about PHRs and larger health literacy issues.

Implementation of a Patient Portal and MedlinePlus Connect in a Low-Income Population – Maxine Rockoff, Ph.D.

Summary: The Institute for Family Health, a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Mid-Hudson Valley, has had an electronic medical record (EMR) since 2002. In 2008, the Institute implemented the patient portal for its EMR. This talk will present research findings to date from focus groups, a Health IT Readiness Survey, usability studies, a survey of providers & staff, and a statistical analysis of patients who received access codes and those who didn’t. The talk will also describe the process of developing MedlinePlus Connect with the National Library of Medicine, as well as some preliminary information on the classes developed for patients to teach them how to use these tools.

MedlinePlus Connect: Linking Patients to Health Information – Joyce Backus

Summary: Overview and background for developing MedlinePlus Connect, a new service from the National Library of Medicine that allows electronic health records (EHR) systems to link users to information in MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus Connect delivers information about conditions and disorders, health and wellness, and prescription and over-the-counter medications to patients, families, and health care providers when it is needed. MedlinePlus Connect accepts requests for information on diagnoses (problem codes) and medications. For problem codes, MedlinePlus accepts ICD-9-CM and SNOMED CT CORE. For medications, MedlinePlus Connect accepts RXCUIs and NDCs. The API for this service conforms to the HL7 Context-Aware Knowledge Retrieval (Infobutton) Knowledge Request URL-Based Implementation specification.

The GMR has set up a listserv to continue the conversation about EHRs and PHRs. To subscribe to EMR-GMR, send the command SUBSCRIBE EMR-GMR BARACK OBAMA to listserv at uic.edu, replacing “Barack Obama” with your first and last name. Make sure the subject line is left blank.

HIT Resources

AHRQ

AHRQ National Registry Center for Health IT

AHIMA

American Health Information Management Association

Beacon Community Program

Beacon Communities will focus on specific and measureable improvement goals in the three vital areas for health systems improvement: quality, cost-efficiency, and population health.

MyPHR

MyPHR – Resources for seniors, parents, the chronically ill and more.

Health and Data Standards

Health Information Technology and Data Standards at NLM

HealthIT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

HRSA Health Information Technology

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration

Overview EHR Incentive Programs

Centers for Medicaare and Medicaid Services

Regional Extension Centers (RECs)

Explanation of the the Regional Extension Center Program

Health Information Technology Resources from NN/NLM

The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region has a Web page devoted to health information technology resources. It includes links to pdf files of the presentations at the December 2010 meeting – “EHRs and Librarians: A Symposium”.

From the web page

Health information technology (Health IT or HIT) describes the management and secure exchange of health information among consumers, providers, government entities, and insurance agencies. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are a special focus of HIT. EHR’s can assist in maintaining an accurate picture of a patient’s health and to more securely share information between doctors. Using an EHR can replace paper medical records to maintain your health information.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Personal Health Records (PHRs)

In December 2010, the GMR held a meeting called “EHRs and Librarians: A Symposium” before the fall RAC meeting in December 2010. Below are pdf files of the presentations.

Regional Extension Centers – David Sweet
Summary: Overview about what Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are doing to assist health professionals with implementation of electronic health records; what AHIMA is doing related to RECs, and possible roles for librarians.

Using New Digital Resources to Promote and Understand PHRs – Allison Vance
Summary: Learn about AHIMA’s consumer education campaign, my Personal Health Record (myPHR), and the various digital resources available to librarians interested in assisting patients and community members with learning more about PHRs and larger health literacy issues.

Implementation of a Patient Portal and MedlinePlus Connect in a Low-Income Population – Maxine Rockoff, Ph.D.
Summary: The Institute for Family Health, a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Mid-Hudson Valley, has had an electronic medical record (EMR) since 2002. In 2008, the Institute implemented the patient portal for its EMR. This talk will present research findings to date from focus groups, a Health IT Readiness Survey, usability studies, a survey of providers & staff, and a statistical analysis of patients who received access codes and those who didn’t. The talk will also describe the process of developing MedlinePlus Connect with the National Library of Medicine, as well as some preliminary information on the classes developed for patients to teach them how to use these tools.

MedlinePlus Connect: Linking Patients to Health Information – Joyce Backus
Summary: Overview and background for developing MedlinePlus Connect, a new service from the National Library of Medicine that allows electronic health records (EHR) systems to link users to information in MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus Connect delivers information about conditions and disorders, health and wellness, and prescription and over-the-counter medications to patients, families, and health care providers when it is needed. MedlinePlus Connect accepts requests for information on diagnoses (problem codes) and medications. For problem codes, MedlinePlus accepts ICD-9-CM and SNOMED CT CORE. For medications, MedlinePlus Connect accepts RXCUIs and NDCs. The API for this service conforms to the HL7 Context-Aware Knowledge Retrieval (Infobutton) Knowledge Request URL-Based Implementation specification.

The GMR has set up a listserv to continue the conversation about EHRs and PHRs. To subscribe to EMR-GMR, send the command SUBSCRIBE EMR-GMR BARACK OBAMA to listserv at uic.edu, replacing “Barack Obama” with your first and last name. Make sure the subject line is left blank.

Links to Health Information Technology Resources are also given

Free Databases from the US Government

The Pollak Library California State University Fullerton has published a list of Free Databases from the US Government.
This item came via the Yahoo group NetGold, and was published by the owner Librarian David P. Dillard
Here are the the links to free Health and Medicine resources.

[Flahiff’s note: MedlinePlus is a great starting point for consumer level health/medical information. It goes beyond news to give great starting points for information on diseases and conditions. It includes videos (as surgeries), links to directories (as hospital and physician directories), options for email alerts, Twitter, and much more.

Drugs @ FDA is a great source, however, the NLM Drug Information Portal is a more comprehensive resource. This portal includes both consumer level and professional level drug information resources, including Drugs@FDA, MedlinePlus resources, and references from scientific journals as well as toxicology resources.

PubMed is the largest indexer of health/medical articles written by scientists, physicians,and other health care related professionals. Not all of the articles are available for free online. Please click here for suggestions on how to get individual health/medical articles for free or low cost.]

• PLoS: Public Library of Science
  Full text. PLoS publishes peer-reviewed, open access scientific and medical journals that include original research as well as timely feature articles. All PLoS articles are immediately freely accessible online, are deposited in the free public archive PubMed Central, and can be redistributed and reused according to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
• Cancer Literature in PubMed
  Search the Cancer subset in PubMed.
• Drugs@FDA
  Search by drug name, active ingredient, application number, and more.
• PillBox Beta

  Aids  in the identification of unknown solid dosage pharmaceuticals using images to identify pills (color, shape, etc) as well as a separate advanced search (imprint, drug manufacture, ingredients, etc)

• Household Products Database
  Health and safety information on householdproducts.
• MedlinePlus
  Health news on 800 topics on conditions, diseases, and wellness.
• National Academies Press
  Full text books on behavioral and social sciences, biology, computers, earth sciences, education, energy, engineering, environmental issues, food and nutrition, health and medicine, industry and labor, math, chemistry, physics, space and aeronautics, transportation, and more.
  
• National Library of Medicine: Databases
  Linds to databases and electronic resources from the NIH.
• NLM Gateway
  From NIH. Accesses Medline, PubMed, Toxline, DART, ClinicalTrials.gov, and other government databases.
• NLM/NIH Resources
  Links to NLM, NIH and other federal government resources.
• Nutrient Data Laboratory Database
  The Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) has the responsibility to develop USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,  the foundation of most food and nutrition databases in the US, used in food policy, research and nutrition monitoring.
• Nutrient Data Laboratory [USDA]
  Search by keywords to retrieve nutrient data.
• PubMed
  More than 19 million citations to biomedical articles from MedLine and life science journals. Some links to full text.
• PubMed Central
  Full text  articles from PubMed, the free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literataure.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Resources

MedlinePlus has a Web page filled with resources on Cardiac Rehabilitation

From the Web page

Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically supervised program to help people who have

• A heart attack
• Angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting for coronary heart disease
• A heart valve repair or replacement
• A heart transplant or a lung transplant
• Angina
• Heart failure

The goal is to help you return to an active life, and to reduce the risk of further heart problems. A team of specialists will create a plan for you that includes exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling. You will learn how to reduce your risk factors. These may include disorders such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight or obesity, diabetes. Smoking, lack of physical activity, and depression are other risk factors.

Resources include

Overviews

• Cardiac Rehabilitation(American College of Cardiology)
• Cardiac Rehabilitation(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation?(American Heart Association) – PDF
• Also available in Spanish

Disease Management

• Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Managing Your Medicines(American Heart Association)
• Return to top

Related Issues

• Communicating with Professionals(American Heart Association)
• How to Choose a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
• JAMA Patient Page: Acute Emotional Stress and the Heart(American Medical Association)
• Also available in Spanish
• JAMA Patient Page: Chronic Stress and the Heart(American Medical Association)
• Also available in Spanish
• MedlinePlus: High Blood Pressure(National Library of Medicine)
• MedlinePlus: Weight Control(National Library of Medicine)
• Also available in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Being active after your heart attack
• Also available in Spanish
• Heart attack – discharge
• Also available in Spanish
• What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation?(American Heart Association) – PDF
• Also available in Spanish

MedlinePlus is a goldmine of health information from the National Institutes on Health.
It contains information and links on over 700 health topics, drugs and supplements, and a medical encyclopedia.
You may sign up for email updates on topics of your choosing, as well as their news service and magazine. Many topics include videos and “cool tools (as calculators, quizzes, and games). Mobile version option as well as Twitter.

NLM announces MedlinePlus Connect

From a posting by  GMRLIST – email list for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine-Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM-GMR) members. Written by Samanthi Hewakapuge, MA, MLS, Consumer Health Coordinator

Today NLM [US National Libraries of Medicine) announces MedlinePlus Connect (http://medlineplus.gov/connect), a free service that allows electronic health records (EHR) systems to link users to MedlinePlus (http://medlineplus.gov), an authoritative up-to-date health information resource for patients, families and health care providers. MedlinePlus provides information about conditions and disorders, medications, and health and wellness.

MedlinePlus Connect accepts requests for information on diagnoses (problem codes) and medications. NLM mapped MedlinePlus health topics to two standard diagnostic coding systems used in EHRs: ICD-9-CM and SNOMED CT CORE Problem List Subset.

When an EHR submits a request to MedlinePlus Connect, the service returns the closest matching health topic as a response.  MedlinePlus Connect also links EHR systems to drug information written especially for patients. For medication codes, MedlinePlus Connect accepts RXCUIs and NDCs. The API for using this service conforms to the HL7 Context-Aware Knowledge Retrieval (Infobutton) Knowledge Request URL-Based Implementation specification.

MedlinePlus responds to problem code requests in either English or Spanish. Currently, it supports requests for drug information in English only.  NLM is working on adding laboratory test responses to MedlinePlus Connect. We will also support an XML-based Web service at a future date.

You can find more background and technical information at http://medlineplus.gov/connect. If you are an EHR owner or developer interested in staying up-to-date on technical developments with MedlinePlus Connect, or talking to other organizations that are using it, join the free email list athttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/connect/emaillist.html. To send questions or feedback, use the MedlinePlus Contact Us link athttp://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/contact/index.cfm.

 

Get Free Email Health News Updates

[From MedlinePlus Email Updates]

Would you like to receive updates on health topics of your own choosing?

MedlinePlus (a goldmine of health information sponsored by the US government) offers a great free service that just might fit your needs. This post’s author relies on it heavily for blog items.

Here is how to subscribe

** Go to Email Updates and enter your email address
** Select topic(s) and/or source
Sources include MedlinePlus publications as Health News and New Links
Topics include various body locations (as lungs), diagnosis/therapy (as surgery), disorders (as cancer), and health/wellness          (as sexual health)

Free Anatomy Videos via MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus now includes animated anatomy videos as part of the A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

These 78 new videos show the anatomy of body parts and organ systems and how diseases and conditions affect them.
To see a complete list of the videos, please visit the new English and Spanish  anatomy videos pages.

Here are links to a few of the videos
**Brain Components
**Concussion
**Kidney Stones
**Macular Degeneration

You can also find links to the videos in encyclopedia articles and MedlinePlus health topic pages.
 ————————
MedlinePlus is a goldmine of good health information from the world’s largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine.
It has links to information on over 800 diseases and conditions, a medical encyclopedia, directories, and more.

Authoritative, Current Health Information Available on Mobile Devices

Looking for health information while at the doctor’s office, pharmacy, or elsewhere when all you have is a mobile device?

The following mobile Web sites & resources from the US National Library of Medicine may just provide the information you are looking for.

**MedlinePlus Mobile provides information on over 750 diseases, conditions, and wellness areas. It also provides drug information and links to health news items.

**PubMed® for Handhelds Web site is a website for searching MEDLINE® with the web browser of any mobile device.
MEDLINE® is the largest database of  scholarly biomedical citations/abstracts in the world. Links to the full text of most articles are by subscription only. Check with your local library on how to get full text of articles not available at PubMed®.

**Wireless System for Emergency Responders (WISER)****** is a software program for Palm Powered or Pocket PC devices to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents.

**NCBI Bookshelf downloadable versions of books from the NCBI Bookshelf for any mobile device.
From the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

******March 22 2011 WISER update from the National Library of Medicine (via their NLM-TOX-ENVIRO-HEALTH-L listserv)

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER) 4.4 is now available. It can be downloaded to the WISER Windows, Pocket PC, and SmartPhone platforms from the WISER Web site.   http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/

The updated online version, WebWISER, is available at  http://webwiser.nlm.nih.gov/getHomeData.do

Highlights of this version include:

1) A new, interactive Chemical Reactivity capability (WISER for Windows); users can
a) Create their own mix of chemicals.
b) See an overview of the resulting potential hazards
c) Delve into the detailed reaction behind each hazard or gas produced.

2) 19 new substances and mixtures of substances, including Crude Oil and the Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 dispersants.

Find more information at http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/whats_new_4_4.html
WISER for iPhone/iPod touch 1.1 is now available from Apple’s App Store.

All WISER platforms now include:

1) The 19 new substances and mixtures of substances.

2) Data updates based on the latest information from the NLM Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs).

3) Many usability improvements and fixes.

You can follow the activity of the National Library of Medicine Specialized Information Services Division via Twitter (NLM_SIS). http://twitter.com/NLM_SIS

Related Articles

• PubMed Toxicology Subset Streamlines Biomedical Searches in the Professional Literature (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• National Library of Medicine Updates (aa47.wordpress.com)
• Japan Disasters Topic Page from the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• PubMed Health Provides Disease and Treatment Information for Consumers (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• National Library of Medicine Website Redesigned (aa47.wordpress.com)
• PubMed Mobile Beta (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• Access Full Text Life Science and Healthcare Texts Using A New NCBI Bookshelf Homepage (jflahiff.wordpress.com)
• More Resources from NLM for Japan (aa47.wordpress.com)